ShipsElectrical

System

ReneBorstlap,HanstenKaten

Introduction
Electrical installations in ships cover every aspect of
an independent installation, from power generation,
switch-gear and distribution, to every type of consum
er on board.
They include all types of automation and remote con
trol, as well as internal and external communication,
navigation and nautical equipment. The basic differ
ence with shorebased electrical installations is that
ships have to be self-supporting. Ships have to have
either the personnel and necessary spares on board, or
the required redundancy to be able to reach the next
port in case of a failure of a single system or compo
nent.
Some applications of ships and offshore systems re
quire this redundancy, not only in case of an electrical
or mechanical failure, but also in case of other events
such as fire or flooding of a space.
It is also essential to know the way in which an instal
lation is operated in order to appraise the situation like:
- manned or unmanned engine room,
computerized control systems,
- one man on the bridge (Class notation).
All these considerations influence the basic design, inclu
sive of the location of equipment and cable routing.
Application of high-tech control and communication
equipment and high-powered semiconductor drives
requires knowledge of electromagnetic compatibility
(EMC) and the application of EMC measures.

This book is intended for those readers who have a ba

sic knowledge of electrical installations and who would

like to widen their knowledge of the principles of elec

tricity as well as the specific requirements of electrical

installations in ships.

Every paragraph will be accompanied by a short fore

word or summary for ease of use.

The total of these summaries has been published as

chapter 13 in the book SHIP KNOWLEDGE, a widely

used encyclopaedia for people involved in the shipping

world or shipbuilding industry.

About the authors:

Rene Borstlap :
Electrical marine engineer / deSigner, project leader of
electrical installations / manager of a shipyard electri
cal department / classification electrical surveyor

Hans ten Katen:

Naval architect / superintendent for a major tanker

owner / repair manager at a shipyard / classification

hull and machinery surveyor.

In the completion period of this book the originator,

Rene Borstlap, sadly passed away.

He will be remembered for his effort and knowledge in

creating this book.

~
"

III '"

TABLE OF CONTENTS

01.
02.
03.
04.
05.
06.
07.
08.
09.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.

PREFACE
BASICS OF ELECTRICITY
BASIC DESIGN CRITERIA
ONE LINE DIAGRAM
LOAD BALANCE
MAINS VOLTAGE SELECTION
SHORT-CIRCUIT CALCULATION
CIRCUIT BREAKERS, CONTACTORS AND SELECTIVITY
TYPE APPROVED EQUIPMENT
HAZARDOUS AREAS - IP RATINGS
AC SOURCES
EMERGENCY POWER
SWITCHBOARDS
PARALLEL OPERATION
MOTORS AND STARTING DEVICES
TRANSFORMERS AND CONVERTERS
ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY EMC
ELECTRICAL CABLING
AUTOMATIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
ALARM AND MONITORING SYSTEM
NAUTICAL EQUIPMENT
COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
SAFETY SYSTEMS
L:lGHTING SYSTEMS
DYNAMIC POSITIONING
SPECIAL SYSTEMS
TESTING, COMMISSIONING AND CLASSIFICATION
MAINTENANCE
APPENDIXES
USEFUL INTERNET LINKS
INDEX
CREDITS

6
10
14
26

32

40

46

52

58

66

72

82

86

92

100
108
116
126
138
156
162
172
176
180
184
192
198
210
214
220
222
224

Ships, in one form or the other,

have probably been around as long

as there are people on this planet,

but only since the end of the 19th

century electricity got on board.

First in a simple form with some

lights on DC power, later with more

power to drive systems using alter

nating current (AC) .

Nowadays we cannot be without

electricity on ships as it has pen

etrated every system on board like

pumps, control and automation,

navigation equipment and sophis

ticated communication equipment.

Every year thousands of new-built

ships, from very small to very

large, are made around the world

and thousands of repairs, modifica

tions and revamps to existing ships

take place. Practically all of these

projects require electrical design

and installation in one form or an

other.

This book has been written with

the intent to help all those involved

with decision-making, design, in

stallation, testing and maintenance

of electrical systems on board

ships. This to gain better under

standing of the subjects involved

to make the correct choices from a

number of options.

Shipbuilding is a global business

and involves shipowners with their

financiers, shipyards, equipment

manufacturers and many related

service and knowledge providers .

All in all thousands of workers may

be involved in a project and they

could be allover the world. This

requires a lot of planning and co

ordination and early agreement

of the standards and goals for the

project.

Chapter 3-basic design criteria

will address some of these issues

together with the fundamental re

quirements to work on the electri

cal design .

We kick off with Chapter 1 -basics

of electricity- for those who are not

familiar with these or to revitalise

knowledge for those who should

know.

The other chapters are organised

in such a way that they follow the

development of the design of the

electrical installation.

The following groups can be

recognised:
Fundamental design
04 One-line diagram

05 Load balance

06 Mains voltage selection

07 Short-circuit calculation

All these chapters will normally be

addressed by the shipowner and

the shipyard with the aid of special

ists .

The results will be part of the tech

nical speCification.

As we will explain in Chapter 3,

Basic Design criteria, it may re

quire some recalculations or itera

tions when the fundamental design

progresses as one result may inAu

ence the other.

Basic equipment selection

08 Circuit breakers, contactors and
selectivity
09 Type approved equipment
10 Equipment protection Ex/IP rat
ings
Chapter 8, Circuit breakers, con
tactors and selectivity, can only be
addressed when the fundamental
design is completed.
The other two chapters are deter
mined by Class requirements as
defined in the speCification. These
chapters will primarily be addressed
by the lead electrical engineer.

Power sources
11 AC sources,

12 Emergency power

13 Switchboards

14 Synchronizing and parallel op

eration
The basic selections for chapters 11
and 12 will have been made by the
shipyard following the fundamental
design and be part of the specifica
tion.
Based on this information the elec
tical engineers will work on the de
tail designs which will include items
13 and 14.

Main power consumers

15 Motors and starting devices
16 Transformers and converters
17 Electromagnetic compatibility
Again the basic selections for chap
ters 15 and 16 will have been made
by the shipyard following the fun
damental design and be part of the
specification.
However, the electrical engineer will
have to work on the detail deSign.
When large converters are part of
the electrical installation special at
tention should be given to chapter
17, Electromagnetic compatibilty to
avoid disturbances in the installa
tion.

Installation requirements
18 Electrical cabling
This gives information on the cable
installation and connection and will
be used by the electrical engineers
to plan and organise the installation
on board.

Primary systems
19 Automatic control systems
20 Alarm and monitoring systems
21 Navigation and nautical systems
22 Communication systems
23 Safety systems
24 Lighting systems
All these chapters will normally
be applicable to any ship and the
basic requirements will have been
addressed in the specification. The
electrical engineers will complete
the systems in detail design.

Special systems
25 Dynamic positioning systems

26 Special systems

Chapters 27 deals with the comple

tion of the vestI el and bringing it
into operation.
These items ar primarily for the
Chapter 25 will much of the time be
owner to verify that the electrical
applicable to special types of ves

installation has lJeen built in accord

ance with the cd,ntract, to maintain
sels like offshore cranes, pipelay

ers, diving support ships, etc. and

the vessel in olperation (28) and
the basics will be laid down in the
to have it surv~yed by Class on a
regular basis.
specification.

Chapter 26 will address a number

of special systems such as helicop

Additional infor mation

ter facilities, emergency propulsion
29 Appendixes
30 Useful intern~t links
systems and the like .

Chapter 27 will address testing.

31 Index
32 Credits
Vessel completion and opera
These chapters Iprovide quick ac
tion
27 Testing,
commissioning
and
cess to useful information.
classification
Marine projects
28 Maintenance
Each project willi require a different

focu,

00

the cOT ot of th;, book.

New-building projects
For new-building projects all of the
chapters 03 to 24 probably will be
required.
A new to be built passengership
would require special attention for
chapter 23 Safety systems and
chapter 24 Lighting systems.
Modifications to existing ships
Modifications to existing ships may
require more electrical power by
adding generator capacity due to
for instance the addition of ex
tra cargo-handling gear or a bow
thruster.
This would mean that the chapter
04 One line diagram, 05 Load bal
ance and 07 Short-circuit calcu
lation, has to be updated and re
viewed .

Special ships
There are many special ships in the

world fleet.

Some were custom-made, others

are modified existing ships.

Special ships are for instance large

offshore cranes, pipelaying ves

sels, stone- dump vessels, diving

support vessels, survey vessels,

dredgers, etc.

Most of these vessels are equipped

with a dynamic positioning system
and sophisticated electronic sys

tems to aid operations. For these

projects chapters 25 Dynamic po

sitioning systems and 26 Special

systems will particularly apply.

Offshore projects
Offshore projects such as drilling
rigs in any shape or size are not
covered by this book. The Rules
and Regulations differ quite sub
stantially from those for ships.

Moreover many offshore systems

are unique and dealing with these
in this book would make it over
complicated.
Having said this it is also true that
the first four groups of this book,
dealing with the basics of the elec
trical design, may safely be used
for offshore-related projects.

Instructions for use

This book is for guidance only and
the user should always refer back
to the contract and the technical
specification and the class require
ments for the legal binding rules
and regulations.
For the Class requirements it should
be clearly established that the lat
est information is available for
which the web-page of the applica
ble class may be a good source.

Th is section defines and explains

the different types of electricity
and their purpose.
A dictionary gives for "electricity" the following definition:
Fundamental property of matter, associated with atomic particles, whose movements, free or
controlled, lead to the development of fields of force and the
generation of kinetic or potential
energy.

The definition looks complicated

but electricity is a clean distribution
medium to transport power.
It does not smell, it does not pollute if spoiled ana is relatively safe.
Electricity is not a purpose but a
medium for the distribution of power which can be done with relatively simple equipment. It can easily be converted into mechanical
forces, light or heat. In very small
portions it can be used to distribute
information.
Any accumulation of one kind of
electricity in excess of an equivalent of the opposite kind is called a
charge and is measured in appropriate units:
- a charge fixed at one point or
within a circumscribed field of
force is static electricity;
- a charge which flows through a
conductor is current electricity.
Static electricity is usually undesirable.
For example: Voltage created by
the flow of liquid through the cargo
hoses when loading a tanker could
lead to a static high voltage and
there after to a spark.
Current electricity comes in two
basic types:
- Direct Current (DC)
- Alternating Current (AC).

DC Dynamo or motor with the complicated brushes and collector

1. Rotating coil
2. Fixed coil
3. Collector
4. Brushes

1.

Direct Current (DC)

DC power can be produced in various ways;

- a chemical process in batteries
or fuel cells
- a dynamo converting mechanical energy
- an AC to DC converter.

No
naked f\ames

DC can be stored in an accumulator

and later retrieved when required.
An example is a conventional diesel electric submarine, where the
electric energy is produced by a
diesel generator during operation
at the surface or just underwater at
snorkel depth and stored in batteries. The propeller is driven by an
electromotor both at the surface or
when submerged.
In modern ships, DC systems are
limited to small installations or
transitional sources of power.
Battery box
Uninterrupted Power Supply units
(UPS units) are a combination of
a battery, storing the DC power, a
battery charger and a converter to
make AC from the DC power.
These units are often used for computer power supplies where an uncontrolled shutdown would lead to
loss of information or crash of the
program. Small units are also used
in transitional lighting fixtures.

A disadvantage of DC systems is
that the generators with collectors
and brushes, complex SWitch-gear
and motors with collectors and
brushes, all require a lot of maintenance and get more complicated
when the size increases.
A further disadvantage of DC systems is that switching off DC circuits must be fast to reduce the effects of possible harmful arcs.

Alternating Current
Magnet rotates in Winding

Alternating current (AC) allows

simple switchgear as the current
goes down to zero every cycle and
the arc extinguishes by itself when
the voltage is zero, provided the
distance between the open contacts is large enough to prevent reignition in the next cycle.
Pictures of the extinguishing of an
arc in a circuit breaker are shown
in chapter 8, circuit breakers.
The diagram on this page, of the
generator and motor, shows a single-phase alternating current system with the physical location of
the magnets and rotating field.
AC is a very suitable transport medium of energy for lighting and
control signals. The conversion of
AC single-phase into rotating energy requires an auxiliary winding
to define the direction. Thus, small
electric motors need to have a
starting or auxiliary winding. Large
motors are seldom single-phase.

.-..

2:-

....

AC

lamp

>

time

no moving Contactors

(2)
:=71
JIi,/"

./

DC

(1)

IV

I~ o~ VV\0
,0

Magnet stands still

DC Voltage is taken from
split Sliprings (Collector)

AC POWER

;V\

Rotating Current (RC)

A logical evolution after the singlephase AC system is the three-phase

AC or rotating current system.
The permanent magnet of the generator rotates within three windings, physically located 120 0 from
each other, creating an AC voltage/current in sequence in each of
these windings.
rotating
voltage/current
This
makes it possible to power a simple AC squirrel cage motor (see
chapter 15) having the same three
windings similarly spaced.
Reversing the direction of rotation
is done by changing two phases.
A further advantage of this threephase system is that when the
load is equally distributed over
the phases, the sum of the threephase current is zero. In that case
the zero or star-point-conductor
can be deleted or at least reduced
in size. This effective distribution
system is the most commonly used
system on ships and shore installations.

~IV

Generator

1. Rotating magnet
2. Fixed coil

Motor

Rotation Power

L1

....

L2

\: '

L3

\.~----r

'0
>

Ships' Electrical
Systems

Electrical systems on board ships

have become increasingly complicated over the years.
From relatively small systems with
poor quality materials these systems have evolved to complicated
large systems which require careful
design, particularly with the choice
of distribution system.
More on this can be found in Chapter 3 Section 8.

2. Basics of electricity

TIME

'-,

Generator

Motor

Relation Voltage,
Power and Current

Relation between voltage, power

and current in DC and single-phase
AC systems:

Generator

Starter

Motor

R
P
U

P = U x I x cosq>
Relation between voltage, power
and current in three-phase AC systems:
P= U x I x

Cos q> is the power factor and is determined by the load.

For resistive loads such as lighting,
heating and cooking equipment the
cos q> is normally 1, unless electronic devices or capacitors are included.

Reversing
Starter

Reversing AC motor by changing two wires

U1

Y.:

Balanced Load

11

Red 11

U3 13

Neutral 10

12

U2

Balanced Load

..

v3 x cosq>

The design power factor of generators is normally 0.8.

Power factors for motors vary with
the load and size between 0.6 for a
small motor or a low-loaded larger
motor to 0.9 for a full - loaded large
motor.

11 + 12 + 13 = 0

Yellow 12

=>

10 = 0

Blue 13
Neutral is not loaded
Neutral I Zero Conductor can be sma"

Three-phase system with equal loads.

The sum of currents is zero, neutral can be small or even deleted.

~1

Unbalanced Load

Jt

Voltage : U (V = Voltage)
Current : I (A = Ampere)
Power: P (W = Watt)
Resistance: R (Q = Ohms)
I n general in most countries the
following voltages will be used :

10

Red 11

12

U3

Neutral 10

..

13

Unbalanced Load
11 + 12 + 13 '" 0

Yellow 12
Blue 13

~ U2

=>

10 '" 0

When different Currents>

neutral is loaded

Three-phase system with different loads .

The sum of currents is not zero, neutral is loaded.

phase to neutral 230V

3-phase line voltage for 50Hz
400V
3-phase line voltage for 60Hz
440V

When the required electric power

is known the current can be calculated from:

p
1=-------

v3

x cosq> x '1

Depending on the value of the current, the cable and circuit breaker
or fuse can be selected .

Establishing the Basic Design

Criteria is the first step towards
a successful project.
The content and clarity of these
criteria will aid all those involved
in the design, preparation, installation, testing, commissioning and delivery of the project.
These criteria should be clearly
identified if possible by the Owner when preparing the contract
specification but otherwise by
the shipyard, in consultation
with the Owner.

Introduction

A ship's electrical system in a small

ship can be simple, with a small
power source like a battery and a
solar panel, but more often it will
involve a large number of sometimes complicated systems. Modern vessels may have close to a
hundred different systems. These
could range from power generation
to large distribution systems and
from large control systems to satellite communication with remote
diagnostic systems via satellite for
onboard computer systems.
Being involved in the electrical design for a ship can therefore be a
challenge as you would be working
with the owner and shipyard representatives, numerous suppliers,
speCialists, installation workers and
commissioning engineers.
Establishing the basic design criteria is the essential first step before any other design activity can
start. Going carefully through the
basic design criteria at the start of
a project can avoid costly changes
later in the project.

Project management

Every project, small or big, should

be managed throughout the project
on five essential criteria which are
to be anchored at the start of the
project in a written project .plan:

2.1

Quality

This basically is what to expect

from the end result on delivery of
the project. Don't make a Rolls
Royce when you were asked for a
Volkswagen. The basis for this is

put down in the contract specification where there will also be the
reference to the required class notation. When the contract speCification is not clear on all pOints this
should be addressed at the start of
the project and rectified.

2.2

Contract price

This is the agreed price for the

work under contract. Normally the
shipyard will hold the main contract
with the ship-owner and will subcontract parts to other parties. Any
change of the contract specification
may be subject to a price adjustment of the main contract.

2.3

Planning

This is the agreed time scheduled

for the work under contract. Most
of the time this will also include
so-called milestones which are anchors for the project on which all
parties can focus their own activities . Again any change to the planning may be subject to a price adjustment on the main contract.

2.4

Organisation

This is to show the relation between

the parties involved and their level
of authority to make decisions. The
resulting organisation chart helps
to identify the key players and
their role in the project. Changes
in the organisation chart during
the project, especially on management levels, should be avoided as
it would also drain knowledge from
the project.

2.S

Information

This is the way all those involved

communi<;:ate with each other. It
may range from the distribution of
e-mails with primary communicators (read and reply) and secondary communicators (read only) to
the way the drawings and documents are coded.
The electrical design will be part
of the bigger project structure and
will follow the same management
structure. It should always be realised that projects are made by people and that good communications
are essential.

It may help to think SMART with all

activities which means:
S - Specific i.e. not fuzzy or unclear
M - Measurable i.e. quantified in
agreed standard units
A - Agreed i.e. all involved have
discussed and will comply
R - Realistic i.e. do not ask for the
impossible
T - Time dependent i.e. relate the
subject to a beginning and end
plan.
It is obvious that, when a ship is
part of a series, only the first ship
will require most effort in establishing the basic design criteria. A oneoff design for vessels of some complexity will probably require more
effort to prepare the basic design
criteria.

Definitions

The basic design criteria should be

made at the start of the project
preferably by the owner when the
ship's design is made. This is not
always possible as the Owner may
not have sufficient resources and
expertise to do so. In that case ship
owners will have specialized ship
design bureaus involved. With a
more standard ship the owner may
go directly to a shipyard.
The basic design criteria will start
with the owner's description of the
purpose of the ship and its type of
service based on expectations of
the commercial market the vessel
will work in.
The purpose of the vessel could be
a general-cargo ship, a passengership, an oil tanker, a support vessel,
a drill ship, etc. with a description
of its capacity and operational limits like unrestricted service, coastal
service or inland waterways service.

Then the type of operation by the

ship's staff will be defined like a
manned or unmanned engine-room
and the' level of automation. At the
same time the basic design for the
bridge will be made with the level
of integration.
The redundancy criteria will determine how much equipment may
fail before the operation of the ship
cannot be continued.

Options for redundancy levels are:

single failure
Class 1, standard
mode for all ships
Class 2, for DP (Dynamic Position)
ships, single failure mode
Class 3, for DP (Dynamic Position)
ships, extra precautions
against fire and flooding

For the electrical installation the

submission of the basic design criteria will be supported by information such as:
- short-circuit calculations,
- selectivity diagrams,
- lists of primary materials,
- lay-out drawings

There is a logical order in which the

design stages follow each other.
When the one-line diagram and the
load balance are available the main
voltage can be selected after which
the short-circuit calculation can be
made.
The values from the shortcircuit
calculation are the basis for the
circuit breaker selection, selectivity and main switchboard design.
With the fundamental design figures determined, the main electrical components can be ordered and
production of for instance the main
SWitchboard started .

In case of a new or unusual design

the submission must also include
an operational description.

When all the items of the basic design criteria have been addressed
the result has to be submitted to
the classification society for appraisal. The basic design criteria
will be verified against the requested class notation of the ship.

The various subjects of the ba sic design criteria are further explained below and further detailed
in separate chapters.
It should be noted that when drafting the basic design criteria for a
new-design vessel, one decision
may influence another. When insufficient data are available the basic
design will be based on assumed
values but these values should be
validated as soon as possible with
detailed design. When more accurate data is available, earlier made
calculations should be redone to
verify if the outcomes are still within the set limits. Especially with the
design of a "one-off" vessel more
than one recalculation may be required before final results are obtained.

Type of service

unrestricted service.
No help is to be expected from
shore. The requirements for redundancy, battery time, and emergency generator capability are maximal as per SOLAS (Safety of Life at
Sea) rules .
Restricted service.
Any ship especially designed for a
certain location or short service,
like ferries between The United
Kingdom and the continent.
Coastal service
Ships with a "Coastal Service" notation are allowed to operate in a
limited area, which in general is
covered by a local communication
station and some sort of service organization.
Again, the requirements for battery
rating, communication eqUipment
and redundancy are limited as assistance is available at short notice.
Inland Waterway
Operational area: rivers, canals,
harbours, etc. These types of ships
are limited in their operational area.
Assistance by a fire brigade or tugs
is more likely available. The requirements for fire pumps, emergency
battery capacity rating or fuel tank
contents for an emergency generator set, are less than the requirements for unrestricted service.

Tanker for unrestricted service, coastal service ship, inland waterway ship and a restricted service tug

5.1

Type of operation,
engine room and bridge

Manned / unmanned
engine room.

Manned engine- rooms are rare

automation
nowadays.
Modern
systems such as remote control
and alarm and monitoring systems
make it possible to operate most
engine-rooms unmanned, at least
part of the time.
In day-time engineers can execute
planned maintenance and repairs
or replacement of defective parts.
Because engine-rooms are usually warm, damp and noisy, an unmanned engine-room is advantageous.
For ships with simple electrical
installations it may be feasible to
design a manned engine-room and
delete the expensive and complicated automation for remote control, alarm and monitoring systems, fire-detection systems, fuel
leakage detection, etc.
Automatic starting of a stand-by
generator set, automatic clOSing of
a dead bus bar after failure of the
running set and automatic starting
of all essential electric consumers is a SOlAS requirement for
all ships, including those with a
manned engine-room.

5.2

Unmanned (UMS)
notation.

On ships with notation UMS there

is no need for a person permanent
on watch in the engine-oom. These
ships (UMS) are required to have
additional warning systems such
as:
a fire-detection system
- automatic safety systems and
remote-control systems for machinery
- automatic control systems for
air compressors alarm and
monitoring system
- automatic starting of stand-by
pumps for propulsion auxiliaries
such as:
seawater pumps
freshwater pumps
lubricating-oil pumps
fuel-oil pumps
propeller hydraulic pumps
when not directly enginedriven

These systems have to be arranged

in such a way that under normal
operating conditions no manual intervention by engineers is required.
Alarm and monitoring functions
must be independent from safety
systems.
Alarms that are not acknowledged
in the space within a predetermined
time must be automatically relayed
to the engineer on duty via the engineer's call system . When the engineer on duty fails to act within a
predetermined time the alarms will
be relayed to other engineers.
When on patrol in the unmanned
engine-room the duty engineer will
activate the operator fitness system. This system consists of start/
stop panels at the entrances to the
engine-room and timer-reset panels in the engine-room. When the
timer, normally set at 30 minutes,
runs out and is not reset, an alarm
will be given on the bridge and in
the accommodation.

5.3

One-man-on-bridge

Periodic operation of a ship at sea

(coastal, restricted or unrestricted
service) under the supervision of a
single watch-keeper on the bridge
is becoming normal practice.
Similar to an engine-room with one
man on watch, the basic requirements are as follows:
Alarm and warning systems associated with navigation equipment
are centralised for efficient identification, both visible and audible.
The following alarms have to be
provided :
- Closest Point of Approach (CPA)
from the radars

Engine control room

Shallow depth from the echosounder

Waypoint approach if auto-track
is installed
Off-course alarm from a device
independent from autopilot or
gyro-compass
Off-track alarm if auto track is
provided
Steering alarms
Navigation-lights alarms
Gyro-compass alarms
Watch safety-system failure
alarm
Power-supply failure alarms
of nautical distribution panels
and, if dual, both for normal as
well as back-up supply circuits .
All alarms have to be fail-safe,
so that failure of the device or
power supply to the device triggers an alarm.

Failure of the power supply to the

bridge-alarm system shall be monitored by the engine-room alarm
and engine-room monitoring system.
A watch safety system to monitor
the well-being and awareness of
the watch-keeper is provided. The
watch-keeper confirms his wellbeing by accepting a warning at a
maximum 12 minutes interval.
When the watch-keeper fails to respond to accept the warning within 30 seconds or fails to accept a
bridge alarm within 1 minute, a
fixed installed system initiates a
watch alarm to the captain's cabin and to the back-up navigator's
cabin. The flag-states, however, do
not accept a single watch-keeper
on the bridge for passenger-ships,
so this bridge always has to be
manned by at least two officers
when underway with passengers.

5.4

Integrated bridge

A bird's eye view analysis of the

location of main power consumers in a dredger might reveal
that the best location for the
Main (HV) Switchboard would
be in the fore-sh ip close to large
consumers such as big dredging
pumps and the bow thruster(s).
When the generators, which
would normally be in the main
engine-room in the aft sh ip,
would be connected to this
switchboard , the extra long ca bles would require special fault
protection.
Differential protection is obligatory for machines with a rating
above 1500 kVA, it is not very
cost increasing.
Space is sufficiently available in
the forward part of a dredger
and weight is not critical there
as the heavy main engines are
located aft.

Other possibilities for the notation

of navigation functions are Integrated Bridge Navigation Systems. This configuration requires,
in addition to the one-man-onbridge requirements:
- duplicated gyro-compasses,
- GPS system,
- route-planning capabil ities,
- auto track capability
electronic chart display
(ECDIS).

Load balance

Location of essential electrical

equipment as well as an estimate
of how much electric power is required during operations , is the
key-issue in the basic design.
A detailed General Arrangement
plan is generally used to show the
locations of the essential electric
generators and large consumers.
A load balance estimates the total
electric loads during the various
conditions of operation.
This gives a figure for the required
electric generator capacity for each
condition . A detailed load balance
for the total load in a specific location gives a design figure for the local switchboard and feeder cables.
The load balance must also determine the required load under
emergency conditions. This figure
can then be used to select a suitable sized emergency diesel generator with fuel tank or, in smaller
systems, the emergency batteries
with charger.

Wheelhouse console

7
-

Maintenance criteria
Self-supporting
Shore-based maintenance

The above parametres affect the

basic design, including:
- load balance,
- a one-line diagram,
basic cable-routing
requirements,
- basic location of essential electrical equipment,
- automation requirements.
The type of operation determines
which spare parts have to be on
board and the required level of
knowledge of the ship's staff.
When operations cannot stop, as in
the case of a pipe -laying vessel or a
diving-support vessel, the ship has
to be fully self-supporting with all
the necessary spares on board .
In other cases, where a ship makes
regular port calls, such as a ferry,
most spares can be kept ashore
where also knowledge can be easily
hired in.

Symbols and phase colours:

electrical
drawings
contain
symbols
and
standardi zed
sometimes use phase colours
like those in this chapter. More
details on this can be found in
chapter 29.

8.1

Type of distribution
system
Introduction on
grounding, bonding and
safety

Ever since AC generation and distribution has been introdu ced on a

large scale on ships around 1950,
there has been debate about the
type of distribution system. The
main focus with the type of distribution system is the treatment of
the systems neutral with respect to
ground ing.
When selecting the grounding
method the primary factor with the
selection is the safety of people
and secondly the safety of equip ment. But loss of vital equipment
can endanger a ship's safety and
this in turn can reduce the safety
of the crew.
The main cause of faults on board
of a ship are ground faults which
occur when live conductors come
into contact with the " ground ". The
" ground " on a sh ip is basically the
metal structure.
When an electrical system is " ungrounded " this means that the
neutral of the power supply is insulated from the ship's metal structure. In an " ungrounded " system
a ground fault will be detected but
not removed automatically on the
first fault . This allows a service to
remain in operation, which can be
a big advantage for vital services
such as those for DP operations.
Although "ungrounded " there will
still be a fault current flowing due
to the capacitance of the cables
and interference suppression ca pacitors fitted inside equipment. In
large installations with many cables this fault current can be substantial.
To find a first ground fault in an
" ungrounded" system can be some
task as these are normally not
self-revealing and would involve
switching on and off circuits in
distribution panels until the fault
disappears. Only when a more sophisticated system is installed with
core-balance current transformers
in the distribution panels automated fault-finding can be obtained but
this can be an expensive add ition.

When an electrical system is

"grounded" this means that the
neutral of the power supply is connected to the ship's metal structure.
In a "grounded" system a ground
fault will in most cases be removed
by the automatic opening of a circuit breaker or the melting of a fuse
in the faulty circuit.
A live conductor can touch the
metal case of a piece of equipment
which then would become a hazard
to the crew.
Bonding all metallic enclosures of
electrical equipment to the ship's
hull will ensure that these are on
the same voltage level and will not
cause electric shock. Furthermore
the bonding of equipment will make
paths available for fault currents to
allow protection devices or detection devices to react. Bonding thus
ads greatly to safety.
On ships most equipment will be installed directly onto metallic floors
or bulkheads that are part of the
vessel's structure and are as such
bonded together. When this is not
the case, like for instance with
equipment on skids with anti-vibration mounts, additional grounding
arrangements must be in place.
These arrangements must be suitably sized fleXible ground wires connected to ground bosses welded to
the ship's structure.

In an "ungrounded" system the

voltage levels of the remaining
phases will rise to 1.732(v'3) of the
nominal value.
When the fault is not solved this
higher voltage level will cause the
insulation of wires and cables to
deteriorate. That is why most classification bureaus have set a limit to
the total time per year that ground
faults may occur in a system.
When a wire is loose and re-strikes
ground, which is likely to happen
on a ship in service, this can cause
transient over-voltages which may
permanently damage equipment.
In general there is no single "best
method" for grounding the electrical system. It is to the engineers
to select a system that is best fitted in relation to safety, cost and
operation.
The result could be to use a number
of restricted grounded systems for
specific services such as domestic, hotel and galley via dedicated
transformers.

S.2

Primary methods of
grounding on ships

There are generally three methods

of grounding which are used:
- Insulated neutral (ungrounded)
- Solid and low impedance
- High impedance
S.2.1 Insulated neutral
(ungrounded) systems
The main advantages are:
- Continuity of service on a
ground fault
- Ground fault currents can be
kept low
The main disadvantages are:
- High level of insulation may be
necessary.
- High transient over-voltages
may occur
- Grounded circuit detection may
be difficult

In the latest edition of lEe 60092502 TANKERS both insulated and

ea rthed distribution systems are
permitted, however, systems with
a hull return are not permitted.
Return via the ship's construction
is only acceptable in limited systems, such as diesel-engine battery start systems, intrinsica lly
safe systems and impressed-current cathod ic protection system s,
outsi de any hazardous area.

Essential services, such as DP and

propulsion related, could then be
supplied from insulated systems.
By splitting systems over different
supplies and applying redundancy
these systems can be further optimized.

3-PHASE 3-WIRE NEUTRAL INSULATED (UNGROUNDED) SYSTEM

MAIN SWITCHBOARD

M
y
~
~-t
DOL STARTER

L1L2L3
GENERATOR 1

L""',I
I

,.
..1.

I I: ::
I

~>

r--

...

.J..
'='

fULL SHORT
ICUITCl(RRENT

\ \

T
..1.

111

"'[It T

..... .....

J.

MAIN VOLTAGE
CONSUMER
GENERATOR 2

"

EARTHFAULT
MONITOR

UMfTED fAULT
CURRENT

I 'I
II

__

2nd EARTH FAULT

.J..-

......

-----

UGHTING TRANSFORMER

......
....

"1
I

./

MAIN LIGHTING
DISTRIBUTION BOARD
LlL2L3N

~
..1.
Shore

'='

Most main electrical power systems

on ships, in the range from 400V to
690V, will have an insulated neutral.
It is, however, important that
a ground-fault is detected and
cleared as quickly as possible. This
is to avoid a large short-circuit
current on a second ground-fault,
which can be in excess of the 3phase fault current for which the
equipment is rated, which can do
damage beyond repair.
Hazardous areas will also have an
insulated neutral power supply system, as the flash-over from a faulted cable in a grounded system,
which may cause an explosion, is
too high.
The diagram on page 21 shows the
principal lay-out of this system.
8.2.2 Solid and low-impedance
grounded systems
The main advantages are:
- No special attention for equipment insulation required
- Automatic detection and immediate isolation of ground faults
- Ground fault current flows for a
short period of time, restricting
damage
- Avoiding arcing ground overvoltages
- Maintains phase voltages at a
constant value to ground.

The main disadvantages are:

- Instant disconnection and loss
of the service
- Fault currents can be large and
can cause extensive damage
and have the risk of explosion.
Most low-power, low-voltage systems in the range from 1l0-230V
have a solid grounded neutral. This
power is mostly supplied from a
phase to neutral source like a transformer and is used to supply small
power consumers and lighting.
There are two basic types of distribution for solid or low impedance
grounded systems:
a. 3-phase 4-wire with neutral
earthed with hull return
b. 3-phase 4-wire with neutral
earthed without hull return (TNS-system) for all voltages up to
and including 500 V A.C.
The type without hull return (b)
resembles installations commonly used on shore in houses and is
used primarily in the accommodations of ships.
The additional advantage of such
a system is that it will require the
same skills for operation and maintenance as for onshore installations. Labour legislation in various

countries makes companies responsible for the safety of workers

or crew on board of ships. Using
this type of system would make it
easier to comply as standards with
respect to safety, training, operational authorisation, etc. would be
the same. Special consideration
should be given to low-voltage supplies to for instance steering gear
or pumps for essential services as
these should not trip on a ground
fault. For these services it would
probably be best to make a dedicated supply directly from the main
power source. The diagram below
shows the principle lay-out of a
system with an ungrounded main
power system but with a grounded
low-voltage system.
8.2.3 High impedance grounded
High impedance grounding, using
a resistance to ground, is used in
the majority of medium voltage
systems and offers several advantages:

Low ground-fault currents, limiting damage and reducing fire

risk
Minimal ground-fault flash hazard due to system-over voltages
Low protection equipment costs.

3-PHASE 3-WIRE NEUTRAL INSULATED (UNGROUNDED) WITH LV GROUNDED SYSTEM

MAIN SWITCHBOARD

L1 L2 L3
GENERATOR 1

rt-+

DOL STARTER

1r--'I

~.;,.I

I . 1- i I I:

~ : _..J

i:

"..~..;.-

J.

...

...
T

111
l:.J. T

......

'='

--

....,

/,'

,,- /

- - - __ - - " MAIN LIGHTING

DISTRIBUTION BOARD

EARTH FAULT
MONITOR

L1 L2 L3 N

LIGHTING TRANSFORMER

J.
Shore

.J.. 2nd EARTH FAULT

......

LIMITED FAULT
CURRENT

I'

J.

SJjQRf

'

'IT
,
-,

MAIN VOLTAGE
CONSUMER

CONNECTION

...

The resistance is connected between the neutral point and the

ship's hull. The resistance limits the
ground-fault current to a low value,
but one that is high enough to ensure selective operation of groundfault protective devices.
Determining the value of the
grounding resistance, to ensure the
operation of the ground-current detection and protection equipment,
is the work of qualified high-voltage
engineers.
As with a low-voltage insulated
system the operation of a high impedance grounded high-voltage
system with a ground fault is in
principle possible but cannot be
recommended .
There is always a danger that the
fault will escalate to a phase-tophase fault and cause fire or extensive equipment damage. It is
therefore advised to isolate the
equipment and repair the ground
fault as soon as possible. With can
be relatively easy as a high-voltage
system on board of a ship will normally be not very extensive.

8.3

Some practical advice on

grounding arrangements

When different voltage levels or

different types of services are involved, the treatment of the neutral
should be dealt with for each part
separately, regardless of the other
part. Beware of equalising currents
when a system neutral is connected
to ground at several pOints and do
not connect transformer neutrals
and generator neutrals in the same
distribution system at the same
voltage level.
The connections of grounding arrangements to the hull shall be so
arranged that any circulating current in the earth connections do not
interfere with radio, radar, communication and control equipment circuits .
When a system neutral is grounded, manual disconnection for maintenance or insulation resistance
measurement should be possible.
When a four-wire distribution system is used, the system neutral
shall be connected to earth at all
times without the use of contactors.
Most ground-faults occur in miscellaneous electrical equipment away
from the main power production
like in lighting fittings, galley equipment and deck fittings.

In an "ungrounded" distribution
system it will be an advantage to
supply this equipment from a separated "grounded" system so that the
ground-faults will be self-clearing.
In an "ungrounded" system it is
worth considering the installation
of a "fault-making switch", with a
series impedance when necessary,
which could be used at a convenient time to temporarily connect
the system neutral to ground and
cause a faulty circuit to trip.

8.4

Grounding arrangements
and shore connections

When the neutral of the electrical

system is grounded, the hull may,
in some cases, function as the
grounding point for the shore supply when in port. This then would
lead to galvanic corrosion of the
ship's hull due to the ground currents flowing between ship and
shore. To avoid this, an isolation
transformer can be fitted on board
in the shore supply. The secondary
side of the isolation transformer
can then be connected to the ship's
ground to form a neutral point with
no connection to the shore system.
An example of a neutral grounded
system with an isolating transformer in the shore power supply is
given on the diagram below .

3-PHASE 3-WIRE NEUTRAL GROUNDED SYSTEM WITH ISOLATING TRANSFORMER SHORE POWER
MAIN SWITCHBOARD

GENERATOR 1

J..

-'t- - - - - - - - - - - - /

I
\
\
\

'"

,,
,

FAULT CURRENT
STEEL STRUCTURE

GENERATOR 2

...

'

.s..tIQRl;
CONNECTION

Vk---+-I--~~
y

Shore

I:

8.5

Dangers from electric

shock

The way in which the neutral is

handled has no significant effect on
shock risk to personnel.
The human tolerance to shock currents is so low that any method of
grounding the neutral has the possibility of allowing a potential lethal
current to flow. Even the line to
earth capacitive current in an ungrounded system could be dangerous. Reducing the risk to humans
from electric shock can be done
by using Residual Current Devices
(RCD's), of high sensitivity being 30mA, with an operating time
shorter than 30ms. RCD's can only
be effective on solid grounded subsystems, like in the accommodation, where these are fitted behind
a neutral grounded transformer.
The diagram below shows the principal lay-out of a 3-phase 4-wire
low-voltage neutral grounded system with RCB's. Another way of reducing the risk of electric shock in
low-voltage SUb-systems 250V)
is the use of isolating transformers .

Redundancy criteria

9.1

Normal services

Some examples of consumers of

systems that are duplicated:
- Starting-air compressors
Sprinkler pumps / Fire extinguishing pumps / Ultra-Fog
pumps / Drencher pumps
Bilge and Ballast pumps,
Sea-water and fresh-water cooling pumps, HT and LT systems
Electric propulsion eqUipment
Starting batteries and battery
chargers for electric starting engines
- Fire detection and alarm systems
- Fuel-oil pumps and heaters
propeller
- Controllable-pitch
pumps,
- Lubricating and priming-pumps
for main engines, gearboxes,
auxiliary engines, shafting if
electric driven
- Inert-gas fans, scrubber pumps
and deck-seal pumps
- Steering gear pumps

Essential services, those services

required for the operation and safety of the ship, must be duplicated
in such a way, that a single failure
in the service or in its supply system does not cause the loss of both
services.
This is done by arranging individual
supply circuits to each service.
Those supply circuits have to be
separated in their switchboards and
throughout the cable length and as
widely separated from each other
as practicable, without the use of
any common components.
Common components are switch board sections, feeders, protection
devices, control circuits or control
gear assemblies. This is the basis
for a high voltage one-line diagram,
a low-voltage one-line diagram and
the 24V DC one-line diagram, as
well as the lay-out of the switchboards and panels .
Physical separation against propagation of fire and electrical damage
to other sections supplying the duplicated service is required.

3-PHASE 4-WIRE LOW VOLTAGE NEUTRAL GROUNDED SYSTEM WITH RCCB'S

MAIN LIGHTING
DISTRIBUTION BOARD
Ll L2 L3 N

LIGHTING TRANSFORMER

"..

..L.

--

'="

-:;':;::':~--" '.'~'

7 . . . . . > ':AiiJ

i ___

Principle of residual current

circuit breaker (RCCB)

a
Ii

1.,
Example of 3-pole circuit breaker with built on
differential trip unit (ABB)

....

12

131

.,.,.,.
When this differen ce is large eno ugh
th e circuit breaker will trip .

3. Basic design criteria

Thrusters for dynamic positioning, where it should be noted

that thrusters for manoeuvring
do not have to be duplicated
but could have for instance
dual feeders from two different
switchboard sections
Lighting systems do not have to
be duplicated as long as two final sub-circuits serve each cabin
or accommodation space; one
circuit may be from the emergency switchboard
Navigational aids as required by
statutory regulations connected to a distribution board with
change-over feeders from main
and emergency switchboards
Navigation lights with a dedicated distribution board with dual
feeders from main and emergency switchboards. Dual lights
are not required by law as long
as the replacement of a broken bulb is possible, in adverse
weather conditions as well
Remote operated valves
Engine-room fans
Watertight doors
Windlasses
Power sources and control systems for above services.

In addition, for the accommodation

the following services are necessary for minimum comfort:
- cooking / heating
- domestic refrigeration
- mechanical ventilation
- sanitary and fresh-water.
Moving domestic refrigeration to the
essentials list is under discussion.
The following services are not considered necessary to maintain the
ship in normal sea-going operations:
cargo-handling and cargo-care
equipment
- hotel services other than those
for habitable conditions
- thrusters other than those for
dynamic positioning.
However, in a non-essential tripping system, thrusters are not to
be tripped before cooking, heating,
ventilation, sanitary and any other
non-sailing services. This to avoid
dangerous situations during manoeuvring and mooring.
Examples of a switchboard lay-out,
showing essential consumers section, generator panels section with
bus section isolator and essential
consumers section.

1. Shore connection circuit breaker

2. Generator circuit breaker
3. Bus section isolator

4. Essential consumers circuit

breakers 1
5. Main bus bar

9.2

Emergency services

Emergency services may include

for example:
Emergency lighting
Navigation lights
- Internal communication
Emergency fire-pump
- Sprinkler/ultra-fog pump
Emergency bilge pump with
bilge valves.
For passenger-ships emergency
services must be available for 36
hours, for cargo-ships the minimum time is 18 hours.
This determines battery capacity or
the contents of the fuel tank in case
of an emergency diesel-generator.
The picture on the right shows an
emergency switchboard with two
sections:
- section for the emergency gen erator and the bus-tie connection to the main switchboard
- section for the emergency consumers distribution.

1. Emergency generator circuit

breaker
2. Emergency outgoing circuit
breakers
3. Bus tie circuit breaker to main
switchboard

I
AUX.

~NGINE

DISTRIBUTION
PRl

UPS /
EMERGENCY
CONTROLS 1

PROPULSION
MOTOR 1

BATTERY

~
3

AUXIUARIES
HYDRAUUC PUMPS
STEERING PUMPS
COOUNG PUMPS

~
~

24V
DISTRIBVTION
PRl

nov

MAIN
SWITCHBOARD 1

-=l

PROPULSION ROOM 1 CPRl)

~ PROPULSION ROOM:]

1-- ENGINE
ROOM 1 .
ENGINE ROOM 2

IDENTICAL TO PRl

PROPULSION SECTION

::,'\::','1""

J
~
SEPARATION

MAIN
SWITCHBOARD 2

ENGINE ROOM 3 CER3)

24V
DISTRIBUTION
ER3

UPS I EMERGENCY CONTROLS

MAIN SWITCHBOARD 2
440V DISTRIBUTION 2
230V DISTRIBUTION 2

~:
~

BATTERY

__ . _ - . _ -

. POWER GENERATION SECTION

~~

ENGINE ROOM 4 . ~
-IDENTICAL TO ER 3
-_ .

__

1-- PRopuls,ON
RooM-3-'PROPULSION ROOM 4
-- . --

9.3

Diesel electric propulsion

On page 24 is a simplified one-line

diagram for a diesel-electric propelled vessel with four (4) dieselgenerators and fou r (4) th rusters
for propulsion. Only half of the
diesel-electric propulsion and half
of the main distribution is shown.
The top of the diagram shows the
distribution for the four thrusters.
Each thruster has a single HV feeder, a single 440 V transformer and
switchboard, a single 230 V transformer and switchboard, as well as
a single 24 V DC battery supply and
switchboard.
A single failure in this system would
lead to failure of one thruster, equal
to the result of fire or flooding of
the thruster space.
The diesel -engine generator-rooms
have two diesel-generator sets per
engine~room with duplicated essential auxiliaries, and:
- HV switchboard with duplicated
bus section circuit breakers
- 440 V transformer and switchboard
- 230 V transformer and switchboard
- 24 V DC battery charger and
distribution switchboard.
With this arrangement the effect of
a single failure would be less than
that of fire or flooding that would
cause the failure of an HV switchboard and consequently, the loss of
two thrusters.
The cable routing of the thrusters
supplied from one engine-room
must not pass the other engineroom. Likewise, the cable routing
for one thruster must not pass the
adjacent th ruster-room.
CONSUMERS
PS

AUX.1

AUX.2

AUX.1

9.4

Engine room battery

systems

Below is a simplified one-line diagram of a 24 V engine-room starting battery and engine control distribution system for a yacht with
also electric starting of the main
engines.
Here too, a single failure shall not
cause the loss of both propulsion
engines and one or more auxiliaries.
The 24 V engine-room systems
consist of two identical distribution
boxes with a normally open link
between the boxes for emergency
supply.
The Main Switchboard will have a
similar lay-out with Auxiliary Generators l(PS) and 2(CL) connected
to the PS section and Aux . Generator 3 (SB) to the SB section.
The Main Switchboard will have a
bustie-breaker between the PS and
5B sections .
The portside 24 V DC system is
powered by the battery charger
supplied from the main switchboard
port section and the DC dynamos of
auxiliary engines 1 and 2.
This system supplies the control
circuits for:
- main 24V supply Auxiliary Engines 1 and 2
main 24V supply Main Engine 1
main 24V supply Bridge control systems PS
back-up 24V supply Auxiliary
Engine 3
back-up 24V supply Main Engine
2
- back-up 24V supply Bridge control-system 5B
AUX.2

M.E.2

M.E.1

And through a normally closed link

the starting motors of:
- Auxiliary Engines 1 and 2
- Main Engine 1
The starboard side 24V DC system
is powered by the battery charger
supplied from the main switchboard
SB section and the DC dynamo of
au xi liary engine 3.
This system supplies the control
circuits for:
main 24V supply Auxiliary Engine 3
- main 24V supply Main Engine 2
- main 24V supply Bridge controlsystems 5B
- back-up 24V supply Auxiliary
Engines 1 and 2
back-up 24V supply Main Engine
1
- back-up 24V supply Bridge control-system PS
And through a normally closed link
the starting motors of:
- Auxiliary Engine 3
- Main Engine 2
All control circuits have to be monitored for failure and alarmed.

Diesel electric offshore vessel

AUX.3

AUX.3

CONSUMERS
SB

II

,24VDC,

C-

} ~----~----A-~C
-

NORMALLY
CLOSED

24V DC SYSTEM PS

MSBPS

24VDC

::---!--c
i

NORMALLY NORMALLY
OPEN
OPEN
.

NORMALLY
CLOSED

~V DC SYSTE; ; -J
MSBSB

The basic one-line diagram

shows the principle layout of the
electrical installation.
It indicates the number and rating of generators and the electrical arrangement of the main
switchboard, including the main
bus bars, possible separation
and the division of the essential
consumers over the two bus bar
sections.
The diagram also includes power supply circuits to distribution
boxes and panels throughout
the ship and the electrical consumers connected there.
A basic one-line diagram tells
more about the electrical installation than pages of specifications.

One-line diagram

One-line diagrams clearly show the

difference in redundancy, emergency services, capacities and additional redundancy to cope with
fire and flooding in an engine-room,
as may be required for a DP vessel.
Basic one-line diagrams of the following ships are described :
1 Diesel-electric crane/pipe-laying
barge
2 Chemical tanker
3 Car- and passenger-ferry
4 Sailing-yacht

Circuit breaker

Diesel generator

One-line diagram of a crane-barge

This barge (see page 26) is equipped with 12 generator

sets, each 6.6kV about 6 MW divided over four enginerooms, four switchboards in four separate spaces and
12 azimuth thrusters divided over two floaters.
The thrusters are fitted in 6 thruster-rooms.

The generators marked 1 are not yet installed .

The same counts for the thrusters marked 2.
The locations are prepared for future installation.

lQ) ~ ~
)

'}It~
AUX.

lQ) ~ ~
:----.

6.6kV

_t ~~lt
AUX.

PIPE
LAYING

PIPE
LAYING

SYSTEM

~~~~

SYSTEM

THRUSTER 11

THRUSTER 12

~6W

~~~~.
j
~
~
)
1

l~ ~ ~ ~ ~ t

AUX .

CRANE

THRUSTER 1-9

Single-line diagram diesel-electric D.P. crane-ship and pipe-laying vessel

Engine-control room

THRUSTER 210

One-line diagram of a chemical tanker

Chemical tankers usually have three or four generator

sets. One generator set is capable of taking the normal
sea-load.
In port, more generators are required to take the load
of the cargo-pumps during discharge. The cargo-pumps
are normally electric or hydraulic driven.

When hydraulic, the power pack is electric driven.

The main engine drives the propeller via a gear-box.
A generator is driven via a power-take-off on the gear
box. This generator can sometimes also be used as an
electric motor for emergency propulsion power.
The necessary power is then supplied by the available
diesel-generators.

AUXILIARY
GENERATORS

MAIN UGHTING
SWITCHBOARD

~~
~

=l

STEERING GEAR

MAIN UGHTING
DISTRIBUTION
BOARDS

~
~
EMERGENCY
SWITCHBOARD

~
MAIN PROPELLER

1
3

EMERGENCY
ENGINE

STEERING GEAR

EMERGENCY PROPULSION

3 AUXI GENERATORS IN PARALLEL FEEDING

SHIPS NET AND PTI GENERATOR

MAIN PROPELLER

;-..

EMERGENCY FIRE PUMP

MAIN ENGINE DECLUTCHED

EMERGENCY UGHTING
SWITCHBOARD

~~
~

EMERGENCY
iUGHTING
DISTRIBUTION
BOARD

One-line diagram of a passenger-ferry

Propulsion is taken care of by two propellers, each

served by two main diesel engines, each on a reduction gearbox. Electric power is provided by two main
generators, 6.6 kV, and by two shaft-driven generators,
through PTO's on the gear-boxes.
The generators supply the 6.6 kV switchboards.
AFT ENGINE ROOM

6,6kv
HIGH VOLTAGE
SWITCHBOARD

From this 6.6 kV switchboard a secondary 440 V system

is fed through transformers, to supply the consumers.
The bow-thruster is directly fed from the 6.6 kV switchboard. Parallel running of diesel generators and shaft
generators is only possible for the time needed to
switch from one generator to the other.
At sea, the diesel-generators are disconnected.

FWD ENGINE ROOM

SWITCHBOARD
GALLEY 440V

BOWTHRUSTER 1

~:=
~ =====
PORTSIDE

~~
~ =====
STARBOARD

~ SWITCH BOARD
~

\..Y.J

I GALLEY 440V

BOWTHRUSTER 2

----------~......-><_____(
440V
MAIN SWITCHBOARD
ENGINE CONTROL ROOM

t:

-o------f\..r- SHORE CONNECTION 440V EMERGENCY

SWITCHBOARD
MAIN UGHTING
440V
~
SWITCHBOARD
EMERGENCY
~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~......3 ~
ENGINE

~I

~~I
~

MAIN UGHTING
SWITCHBOARD

EMERGENCY
UGHTING
SWITCHBOARD

One-line diagram of a small sailing

yacht
A 10 or 12 metre sailing yacht is normally provided
with two 12 or 24 volt circuits, each fed by a battery.
The systems are completely separate. One is installed
to provide the power for starting the auxiliary diesel
engine, the other for all consumers such as lighting,
navigation lighting and equipment, radio, VHF.
The batteries are charged by the dynamo of the diesel
engine.

The charging current is led through a diode-bridge, allowing only charging current and no discharging flow.
This is to prevent current flowing from one battery to
the other. The main reason is that the starting battery
is not discharged by lights or other consumers.
Shore power is often plugged into a separate 230 volt
system for heating and lighting, which also feeds a
battery charger, charging both batteries via the same
diode-bridge. A timer prevents over-charging.
The batteries can also be charged when underway under sail, in a very limited quantity by solar panels and!
or a wind-driven dynamo.
EXPLANATION

i~~V50HZ~~

II
FLEXIBLE SHORE CABLE

II

II

I~

~l {~

PHASE
NEUTRAL
EARTH

WIND GENERATOR

ALTERNATIVE
ENGINE START

230V CONSUMERS
BATTERY CHARGER
WITH TIMER

RAIL A

I'"

CENTRAL SERVICE
BATTERY

COMMUNICATION
NAUTICAL

NAVIGATION UGHTS
EMERGENCY UGHTS

STARTING
BATTERY

RAIL B

~I

R5'U,"
STARTING
SWITCH

A load balance is made at the

start of a project to determ ine
the required number and ratings of the diesel-generators.
As for the creation of this first
load balance many assumptions
may have been made.
The list will have to be maintained and updated at various
stages of a project to fine-tune
it w ith detail design of the electrical installation .

1
1.1

Basic procedures to
make a load-balance

The demand factor is a combined

load factor and diversity factor and
is the ratio of the estimated power
consumption of a service to its normal full-load power consumption.
By applying the expected power
factor to the calculated real power
in kW or MW the apparent power in
kVA or MVA is found. Note: in the
absence of precise data 0.8 may
be used for the power factor. Then
by comparing the expected load for
the different ship operating conditions, the number and rating of the
main generators can be assessed.

General
1.2

A load-balance lists all electrical

equipment with its rating and use
in various operational conditions.
A load-balance will be based on the
mechanical designs of the various
systems. The result will be a list
with all pumps and various equipment with their individual mechanical power ratings. By applying
correction factors for pump-motor
efficiency the required electrical
power is obtained.
Lighting loads are estimated from
the ship's general arrangements
and electronic aids are obtained
from similar vessels or Vendors to
complete the list.
When the electrical load list is completed this can be analysed to estimate the expected power demand
of the electrical system under various operational conditions.
The expected power demand is calculated by multiplying each service
power by a "demand" factor.

MAIN
PROPULSION

PRIMARY POWER SOURCES j

List of the operational

conditions

In general the following operational

conditions apply to all vessels:
- normal sailing/tranSit
- loading/discharging
- manoeuvring
- emergency
Then the type of vessel will determine any other operational modes.
A dredger for instance will require
assessment of load demands for
dredging and pumping ashore.
For heavy-cargo ships the load demands for (de-) ballasting will have
to be assessed.
For ships with dynamiC positioning
systems, such as pipe-laying vessels, crane-vessels, drilling-vessels
and
rock-dumping vessels the
load situation must be assessed
with regard to redundancy criteria
for thruster systems and other vital systems. This is especially vital
when the installed load exceeds the
available power as can be seen in
the example below.

HP MUD
PUMPS

c:::J MAIN SWITCHBOARD PS

1.2

List of the electric

consumers

The consumers will normally be

grouped in order of their purpose
as follows:
- Propulsion
auxiliaries
continuous running
non-cont. running
- Ship's auxiliaries
continuous running
non-cont. running
- Hotel auxiliaries
continuous running
non-cont. running
- Cargo-handling
auxiliaries
- Emergency auxiliaries.

1.3

Essential and nonessential consumers

Essential consumers are those related to the safe navigation and

propulsion of a vessel and the welfare of crew and passengers.
When consumers may be switched
off without danger they may be
classified as non-essential.
Switching off non-essential consumers, which most of the time will
be an automatic action, may help
to reduce power in case the running diesel-generators get close to
overload. It also allows a less strict
selectivity requirement which can
lead to a cost reduction for the installation.

Example of a DP2 Drilling Vessel

with 11 MW available power and
13.5MW supplies for main power
consumers. When the other ship's,
consumers are added the total
installed power is approximately
16MW which makes a good load
assessment and power management with non-essential consumer-control essential.
DIESEL
GENERATORS

c:::J MAIN SWITCHBOARD CL

c:::J MAIN SWITCHBOARD SB

THRU~TERS

<:=:> DIRECTION OF THRUST

1.4

Compiling a load balance.

When making a load balance one

can use a number of standard values that are based on long-time
experience or common practice.
Below are some examples of these
standard values that may be used
when compiling a load balance.
The first part deals with common
standards that may be used for
ships in general
The second part gives standards
for large yachts with an example of
a load balance.
All figures relate to the column
"%MAX" in the tables on the next
page and return the proportional
value of the consumer in the sum
of all electrical loads.
When compiling a load balance a
reservation must be made in every
operational mode to start and run
the largest non-continuous running
consumer fully loaded.
For example when compiling the
list of the emergency consumers
the fire-fighting pump, if this is the
largest, must be able to start and
run on the base load .
When all data is in the load balance,
a margin of 10% must be added to
allow for distribution losses such as
in the cables.
Following are some examples of
loads which can be used in making
a load balance.

1.4.2 Engine-room auxiliaries

intermittent running:
The following consumers are normally intermittent running in the
engine room.

Assigned load during sailing 30%

and manoeuvring 80%
- Hydraulic pumps controllable
pitch propeller
- Steering-gear pumps
- Standby pumps for pumps listed
under 1.4.1
Assigned load 30%-50%
- Start-and control- air compressors
Assigned load 30%
- ME
Lubricating-oil
pnmlng
pump, when used, during starting only
Assigned load 20%
- Bilge pumps
- Ballast pumps
- Mooring and anchor winches
when self-tensioning or in harbour
- Provision cranes.
1.4.3 Hotel auxiliaries
continuous switched on
Hotel auxiliaries are all systems
that relate to the well-being of crew
in the accommodation of a ship .

Normally the following services will

be continuous switched on.
Assigned load 100%
- Main lighting system
Assigned load 50%
- Socket-outlet circuits

1.4.1 Engine-room auxiliaries

continuous running
The following consumers are normally continuous running in the
engine-room.

The accommodation HVAC system

is assigned 0-50-100% depending
on the outside temperatures.

Assigned load 100%

- ME Seawater pumps
ME Freshwater pumps
ME Lubricating-oil pumps
ME Fuel-oil booster pumps
ME circulating pumps
Gear-box lubr. oil pumps
Engine-room fans

For passenger-ships and megayachts sailing with or without passengers can make a big difference
for the load. Large portions of the
installation may be switched off
when there are no passengers on
board which will reduce the total
load.

The percentages given for consumers in the examples above

represent the load factors.
A load factor is the average consumed power divided by the
maximum rated power.

More details on this can be found

later in this chapter where an example is given of the load balance
of a mega-yacht.

1.4.4 Hotel auxiliaries

intermittent switched on
The following consumers will normally intermittent be switched on.

Assigned load 30%

- Normal galley, laundry and pantry equipment.
- Provisional cooling system
But when a cruise-ship is involved
and passengers are on board the
assigned load for these services will
be 100% as there will be catering
day and night for the guests.
1.4.5 Cargo-handling auxiliaries
For a cargo-vessel the following
specific loads are assigned when
these systems are installed.
- Deck cranes 40%
- Cargo pumps 80-100%
- Dredge pumps 80-100%
- Cargo doors and valves 20%
- Refrigeration containers 30%.
It must be noted that for refrigerated containers higher figures may
be required during loading as the
cooling system will have to make
up for the down-time during transfer of the containers from shore to
ship.

1.4.6 Emergency consumers

The total load on the emergency
generator must be carefully planned
as this will be the last power source
in an emergency situation and an
overload situation must be avoided
at all times.

The following are some consumers

that always will be required.
- Emergency lighting 100%
- Emergency fire-pump 20%
- Steering-gear pump 30-80%
- Battery chargers 30%.
For a small ship an emergency battery will be sufficient to supply the
emergency consumers.
Larger ships will need an emergency diesel-generator for these consumers.
The minimum discharge time for
the emergency battery or the capacity of the fuel tank for an emergency diesel are defined by the
Class Rules and Regulations and
the SOLAS regulations.
For cargo-ships this is in general
18 hours, for passenger-ships 36
hours.

For passenger-ships there is an

additional requirement to install a
transitional emergency source of
electrical power. This is an emergency battery system that will supply power to emergency lighting
and other vital systems such as the
public address system for at least
one half hour or until the emergency generator is operative and connected.
A separate load balance must be
made for this system when installed.
The radio installation will normally have its own dedicated battery
with a minimum discharge time of
1 hour. This battery will be directly
charged by the emergency generator. The charging system for the radio battery must be able to charge
this in less than 10 hours .
Normally navigation and nautical
equipment will be all or partly supplied by the emergency source of
supply and can be assigned 30%
load.
1.5

The following operational conditions

are defined:
1. Harbour without guests
2. Harbour with guests
3. Manoeuvring without guests
4. Manoeuvring and dynamic positioning with guests
5. Sailing without guests
6. Sailing with guests.

It is then to the engineer on watch

to select a different operational
mode with more generator capacity.

Dynamic positioning, which is

sometimes available on a yacht,
is used for instance when the ship
cannot drop anchor but must be
kept on position anyhow.

1.6.2 Harbour with guests

Logically this condition is the up
scaled version of the previous with
more power demand due to intensive use and the addition of demand from guest quarters.

1.6.1 Harbour without guests

When a yacht is in port without
guests the number of electric consumers is limited. Only the engineroom auxiliaries required to keep
the yacht in a ready-for-sailingcondition will be running.

Ship's service auxiliaries such as

hydraulic power packs for doors,
hatches,
cranes
and
mooring
winches will be in limited use just
like equipment in the galley, pantries and laundry.

Verification of values

Other systems like thrusters, heliThe estimated figures in the load . copter auxiliaries will not be used .
Furthermore some nautical and
balance can be verified at the relcommunication equipment on the
evant stages of a project.
bridge required in port and crew
During the design period electrical call and entertainment systems will
data sheets from equipment can be be used.
used to update basic values, like
Most of the lighting and the HVAC
power ratings and efficiency, in the
system will be mostly switched off
list.
and only be used in engine-rooms
During testing and commissioning and part of the accommodation
the actual measured values or the used by the crew.
The resulting expected electrical
values from the equipment nameplate can be obtained and used to loads are shown in the example of
the load balance in the column harupdate the list.
bour and crew.
During the harbour test and sea
In this operational condition the
trials all figures for the various oppower management system will
erational modes can be verified and
the load balance can be finalized for limit the generated power to one
generator. This will be an environdelivery with the "As Built" drawmentally friendly profile where the
ings and documents.
load of one generator is limited to
maximum 95%.
1.6
Example load balance
mega-yachts
In the event that this generator limThe load balance for a mega yacht it is reached, the power management system can temporarily reunder various operational condiduce some loads to avoid overload
tions is given as an example.
and tripping of the running generator. Most of the time this reduction
is done by adjusting the capacity of
the HVAC system or by switching
off non-essential consumers.

When enough shore power is available for this operational condition

this can be used instead of using
the generator.

Some additional systems to the

previous condition are those for:
- Swimming pools with Jacuzzi's.
- Guest-entertainment systems
The resulting expected electrical
loads are shown in the example of
the load balance in the column harbour and crew and guests.
Again the power management system will control the total generated
power. Depending on the outside
temperature and the electrical load
normally there will be two generators running with this condition.
1.6.3 Manoeuvring without
guests
When the ship is entering or leaving
port it requires electrical power for
manoeuvring which will include one
or more relatively large thrusters.

As there are no guests with this

specified operational condition the
basic power requirements are as
mentioned before under 1.6.1 Harbour without guests.
Normally this condition can be selected on the power management
system which will start, synchronise and connect 3 generators to
the main switchboard.
With enough electrical power there
will be no limitation to the connection of consumers so all required
services can be connected.
The only restriction will be that the
thruster(s) will have first priority
and the power management system
will reduce power to selected services like HVAC when required.
The resulting expected electrical
loads are shown in the example
of the load balance in the column
"manoeuvring with crew".

MEGA YACHT

HARBOUR

EXAMPLE LOAD LIST (LOADS IN KW)

DESCRIPTION

CREW AND
GUESTS

RATED

LOAD

USED

MAX

CREW

QTY

LOAD

FACTOR

LOAD

LOAD

% MAX

LOAD

% MAX

LOAD

0,00

PROPULSION AUXILIARIES
E310

!steering gear pump (1- MSB ; 2 ESB)

4,90

0,80

3,92

15,68

0%

0 ,00

0%

E610

Main engine Lub oil priming system

2, 40

0,80

1,92

3,84

0%

0 ,00

0%

0,00

E610

Main engine Cool an t pre-heati ng unit

20,00

0,80

16,00

32,00

25%

8,00

25%

8,00

E650

~u x eng SW pumps exhaust

1,00

0,80

0,80

2,40

0%

0,00

0%

0,00

Generatorroom fan PS

1,10

0,80

0,88

0,88

100%

0,88

100%

0,88

Generator coo lers PS

1,50

0,80

1,20

2,40

50%

1,20

50%

1,20

E710

Starting air compressor

5,50

0,80

4,40

8,80

25%

2, 20

25%

2,20

E714

~ir Dryer

0, 33

0,80

0,26

0 ,26

25%

0 ,Q7

25%

0, 07

E720

Fuel oil tra nsfer pump

4,00

0 ,80

3,20

3,20

0%

0,00

0%

0,00

E730

Lub oil transfer pump

3,00

0,80

2,40

2,40

0%

0,00

0%

0,00

E810

Fire fighting I bilge pump

17,50

0,80

14,00

28,00

0%

0,00

0%

0,00

E810

Emergency fire fighting pump

17,50

0,80

14.00

14 ,00

0%

0,00

0%

0,00

Engine room fans

15,00

0,80

12,00

24,00

25%

6,00

25%

ITOTAL PROPULSION AUXILIARIES

137,86

6,00

~8,35 ,

18,35

isHIPS SERVICE AUXILIARIES

E320

iAnchorl mooring winches Fwd

15,00

0,80

12,00

24.00

0%

0 ,00

0%

0,00

E875

Hot water ci rcu lation pumps

0,2 2

0 ,80

0,18

0,53

100%

0,53

100%

0 ,53

Sewage plant

12.00

0,80

9,60

9,60

20%

1,92

40%

3,84

Provision cooling system

20,00

0,80

16,00

16,00

20%

3,20

20%

3,20

E88 1

ITOTAL SHIPS SERVICE AUXILIARIES

50,13

5,65

7,57

HELICOPTER AUXILIARIES.
E802

Heli fuel pump skid

1,50

0,80

1,20

1,20

0%

0 ,00

0%

E346

Heli foa m wa ter pump

30 ,00

0,80

24,00

24,00

0%

0,00

0%

OTAL HELICOPTER AUXILIARIES

25,20
"'-

0':00

0,00
0,00
0,00

HRUSTERS
Bow th ruster

300,00

0,80

240,00

240,00

0%

0,00

0%

0,00

Stern thruster

250,00

0,80

200,00

200.00

0%

0,00

0%

0,00

.~

OTAL THRUSTERS

440,00

0,00

0,00

GALLEY/PANTRY
Main Gattey Crewdeck
452

Ceramic cooki ng plate, supply 1+ 2

8,00

0, 80

6,40

6,40

10%

0 ,64

40%

452

Induction cooking plate, supply 1+ 2

5,00

0 ,80

4,00

4,00

10%

0,40

40%

1,60

452

Ice cube maker

0,67

0,80

0,54

0,54

5%

0,03

10%

0 ,05

452

Refrigerator

0,23

0,80

0 ,18

0 ,37

5%

0,02

5%

0,02

452

Di shwasher

5,00

0,80

4,00

8,00

5%

0,40

5%

OTAL GALLEY AND PANTRY

1,49

19,30

2,56

0,40
4,63

LAUNDRY
E453

Washing machine

5,50

0 ,80

4,40

26,40

20%

5,28

60%

15,84

E453

Dryer

6,44

0,80

5,1 5

30,91

20%

6,18

60%

18,55

E453

Steam iron

0 ,85

0,80

0 ,68

0,68

20%

0,14

60%

OTAL LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT

11 ,60

57,99

0,41
34,80

NAUTICAL

ELECTRICAUNAUTICAL
E51 3

Battery charger General service

1,20

0 ,80

0 ,96

0,96

10%

0,10

10%

0, 10

E5 16

Normal ligh ting (interior)

300

0,01

0 ,80

0 ,0 1

2,40

50%

1,20

50%

1,20

Emergency lighling guests (interior)

400

0,01

0,80

0,0 1

3, 20

10%

0,32

50%

1,60

E5 18

Exterior lighting

770

0,01

0,80

0,01

6,16

50%

3,08

50%

3,08

E561

Alarm and monitoring installation

2 ,00

0,80

1,60

1,60

10%

0, 16

10%

0, 16

OTAL ELECrRICAL ,EQUIPMENT

14,32

4,86

6,14

_I

HVAC OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE +20

Preheaters AC 1-AC5

52,00

1,00

52,00

52,00

0%

0,00

0%

0, 00

Fans AC 1-AC 5 (frequency controlled)

27 ,50

1,00

27,50

27,50

35%

9,63

75%

20,63

lWalerch iliers 1-4 (frequency controll ed)

63, 00

1,00

63,00

252,00

25%

63,00

63%

158,76

Supply fans acco mmodation

7 ,00

1,00

7,00

7,00

100%

7,00

100%

7,00

E761

~ux iliary seawater Circulating pump

15,00

1,00

15,00

30,00

50%

15,00

50%

15,00

E762

iAuxiliary Fre shwater circulating pump

30.00

1,00

30,00

60,00

50%

30,00

50%

30.00

Fresh air unit crew ran

1,10

1,00

1,10

1,10

100%

1,10

100%

1,10

429,60

0%

125,73

0%

232,49

ITOTAL HVAC EQUIPMENT

1,174

ITOTAL LOAD

-- -- --

The above list with consumers and their maximal electric consumption, under the various standard circumstances, is called the load balance,

168

304

HARBOUR

472

This is a shortened example of such a list, A realistic list

with 'all' consumers would take a considerable number
of pages,

1.6.4 Manoeuvring with guests

Again this is the up-scaled version
of the previous condition. The effect will be a higher connected load.
As there will be enough electrical
power all consumers can be connected with the same restrictions
as mentioned before

The resulting expected electrical

loads are shown in the example of
the load balance in the column "manoeuvring with crew and guests"
1.6.5 Sailing without guests
In this condition the power management system will limit the total
generated power to one generator. This will be an environmentally
friendly profile where the load of
one generator is limited to an optimum 95%.

When required the power management system will temporarily reduce the load of some consumers
like the HVAC system or switch off
the non essential consumers.
The resulting expected electrical
loads are shown in the example of
the load balance in the column Sailing with crew.
1.6.6 Sailing with guests
This is the extended version of the
previous condition with the HVAC
systems for crew and guests at full
capacity. The actual power consumption will depend on the outside temperature.

The power management system

will control the total generated
power and will normally connect
one or two generators.
The resulting expected electrical
loads are shown in the example of
the load balance in the column Sailing with crew and guests.
1.6.7 Emergency mode
In an emergency the consumers as
listed will have to be supplied.

Sufficient spare capacity should be

part of the design to allow starting
of the largest emergency pump and
distribution losses.
The resulting expected electrical
loads are shown in the example
of the load balance in the column
"Emergency"

Summary sheet of a load balance. Green marked cells are within capability of generators.

1. 7

Load balance small

sailing-yacht

Although not obvious, a small sailing boat will also require a load balance of some sort.
A single line for a yacht like this is
shown in chapter 33. This yacht has
a shore supply, a dynamo on the
main engine and a solar-cell
and/or a wind-generator.
In port the primary supply will be
the shore supply, taking care of
heating, cooking, ventilation and
battery charging .

When sailing there are two modes:

running on the engine and
charging the batteries with the
dynamo.
sailing on wind power and charging the batteries with the wind
generator in combination with
the solar cells.
The capacity of the solar cells and
the wind generator is very limited
when compared to the dynamo
on the engine and heating and/
or cooking with the engine off may
very well be impossible.
Only some lighting and some communication may be possible for a

longer period when on sails only.

Therefore cooking on sailing boats is
seldom done using electrical power.
Normally gas (butane or propane)
or kerosene is used.
When the battery power gets low
the engine must be started to
charge this again. Failing to do so
will cause communication systems
to fail after some time which could
jeopardise safety of the crew in an
emergency.
For that reason often battery condition meters are installed.

In general, the price of electrical

equipment rises with the voltage. Consequently the cheapest
electrical installation is fitted in
an automobile: 12V DC, with hull
return. This kind of installation
is limited to small craft. Trucks,
which have a higher power demand, use 24V DC.
For ships, the normal electrical
installations use either 400/230V
50Hz or 440V 60 Hz. The latter
voltage is somewhat impracticable, as no standard light bulbs
are available and transformers
are needed to overcome this
problem. Nevertheless, this voltage is widely used .

Switch-gear low
voltage

Switch - gear has two design criteria : thermal capability and physical
strength.
The thermal short-circuit capabil ity of standard low-voltage switchgear is based on a nominal voltage
of maximum 500V both 50Hz and
60Hz.
The short-circuit strength of busbar systems for the same (low)
voltage as above is maximal 220kA
(peak), in line with the load limit of
the largest breaker on the market.
This breaker has a breaking capability of 100kA RMS (root mean
square).

Also cable-wise this is close to the

installation limits, as the power
cables from the generator to the
switchboard could be:
10 cables each 3x95 mm 2, filling a
500 mm wide cable tray. The next
step up in switchgear is: 6600V,
followed by 12,000V and 24,000V.
The maximum practicable value for
ships is 15,000V.
In Europe, land based industrial installations normally operate on an
electrical distribution system of 3phase, four-wire 400/230V 50Hz.
The advantage is that the switchgear components are easy to ob tain and relatively cheap.
In the USA, however" a distribu tion system of 3-phase 3-wire
450V / 60Hz is used in combination
with 1l0V / 60Hz for the lighting.
Lighting transformers are therefore
required, as the delta voltage from
a 450V network is about 280V,
which has to be converted to 110V
by transformers.
A 400V / 50Hz generator at 1500
RPM, when rotating at 1800 RPM,
produces about 480V and consequently 60 Hz.
A standard 400V / 50Hz 1500 RPM
electric motor produces 20% more
power when fed with 480V / 60Hz
and rotates at 1800 RPM.

The link between voltages and 5060 Hz is almost linear.

If America changed to the European 400V / 50 Hz generators and
motors, the 60 Hz voltage would go
up to 480V.
As already mentioned, the capability of low-voltage switchgear is limited to about 100 kA RMS or 220
kA (peak), which limits the total
generator capacity to about 5 to 6
MVA depending on the short-circuit
figures.

To accommodate the increase in

electrical power demand on for instance large offshore platforms or
wind -turbine installation vessels
more often a primary voltage of
690V-60Hz is selected.
The down-side of this selection is
that most SWitch-gear has a proc
portional decrease in short-circuit
making and breaking capacity when
the voltage increases above 500V.
But as Owners are reluctant to
introduce high-voltage systems,
as these would require specially
trained staff and special tools and
spares, the 690V systems are more
and more favoured.

RMS is the effective value of AC

voltage and current compared
with DC voltage and current.
For example the effective voltage
of 142V peak AC is about 100V
and measuring instruments are
calibrated in RMS voltage and
currents .
The 100 kA current during shortcircuit conditions is equal to a
nominal load of 7500 A. (based on
a ratio: nominal current / shortcircuit current of 1/13. See shortcircuit calculations in part 7), which
equals 5MVA at 400V / 50 Hz to 6
MVA at 450V /60 Hz.
At 450V this could be an installation with three generators, each
2000 A, suitable for continuous
parallel operation.
Ship, without cranes, has 3 generators of 500 KW each, one running in
port, one at sea and two during manoeuvring.

Quantity and rating of generators depends on the load

balance with the load requirements in various conditions.
Harbour load 500 kW / Sea
load 1000 kW is a usual
value for a non-complicated
ship like a bulk-carrier without cargo- handling equipment.
Harbour load 2000 kW / Sea
load 1000 kW is normal for a
similar ship, but with heavy
cargo-gear (cranes), which
requires different generator
capacities .
An electrically propelled ship
could need a harbour load
at 1000 kW, manoeuvring,
3000 kW and when underway at maximum speed,
7000 kW.
This can be supplied by two
sets of 1000 kW and two
sets of 2500 kW, with the
short-circuit characteristics
still 450 V / 60 Hz.
This is close to the limit, as
the maximum rating of a
low- voltage circuit breaker
is 6300 A, sufficient to cope
with the 2500 kW generator.
In summary, up to 5000 to
7000 kW : 400 V / 50 Hz or
450 V / 60 Hz is possible.
The next commercially feasible step with respect to
availability of SWitch-gear,
generators, motors and cables is 6600 V / 50 or 60 Hz.
Most rotating equipment
and transformers for these
loads have to be produced
specifically, anyway.
lEC 61892-2, the International Electro technical
Commission's standard for
Mobile and fixed offshore
units Electrical installations,
recommends the voltage
levels as shown in the table.
Another possibility is to limit
the total connected generator capacity to a bus-bar by
disconnecting sections by
bus-section circuit breakers
so that the short-circuit-Ievel is limited to the switch-
gear capacity.

Cruise-ships are mostly diesel-electric and have 6.6 kV / 60 Hz electrical

systems which require 8-9 MVA.

Two 3000kW high-voltage cable runs

(2 x 2 red cables on the left)

3000kW low-voltage cable run

Alternating current (AC) distribution systems IEC 61892-2

lVoltage

Type

IApplication

11 kV - 3-phase Generation and

Installed generator capacity exceeds 20MW Motors
distribution voltage ~rom 400kW and above for DOL starting
Installed generator capacity is between 4MW to 20MW
6,6kV - 3-phase Generation and
distribution voltage Motors from 400 kW and above for DOL starting
3,3kV - 3-phase Distribution voltage Second high-voltage distribution level for large
r.onsumers.
Generation and
Installed generator capacity is below 4MW Motors
690V - 3-phase distribution voltage below 400 kW for DOL starting primary voltage for
converters for drilling motors.
400V - 3-phase Distribution voltage Living Quartres, Kitchen and Laundry larger equipment
~00/230V TN-S Distribution voltage Lighting and small power single-phase heaters below

3kW inc!. heat tracing

UPS 230V IT

Distribution voltage Instrumentation, control, telecommunication and safety

systems

230V IT ESB

Distribution voltage Emergency power supply systems

230V TN-S ESB Distribution voltage Emergency lighting and small power

Switch-gear high
voltage

The lowest rating for switch-gear

and cables commercially available
is noov. This leads to the nearest
standard voltage of 6600 V / 50 Hz
or 60 Hz. The next steps are 12.000
V and 24,000 V, 50 Hz or 60 Hz.
So far, the maximum installed voltage system is 15,000 V, which is
the highest commercial voltage of a
ship generator without the requirement for a step-up transformer.
Most diesel-electric ships have a
high-voltage distribution system.
Some have separate generator sets
for low voltage power and lighting,
but most have transformers to create the low voltage. The dimensions of switch-gear, cable sizes
and weights also influence the use
of a high-voltage distribution system.

Cables

Cables are the transport medium

for current and power.
Apart from the limitations of
sWitch - gear, selection of high voltage reduces the quantity of cables required to deliver a certain
amount of power. For example
3000kW thruster supplied from a
690V - 60Hz power supply, requires
15 parallel cables 3x95 mm 2 or 18
single cores 240mm 2
The same thruster supplied by a
6.6kV distribution system would
consume less than 300A and can
be supplied by a single 3x185mm 2
high-voltage cable.
By using high-voltage the space
required and weight for cabling is
substantially reduced.
In addition to saving weight the
use of a high-voltage system will
also reduce the cost for installation, steel-work and penetrations
as there are less cables involved.
Commissioning of high-voltage cables does also require a high-voltage test when the cables are fixed.

Container ships with refrigeration,

in general, have a 6.6 kV / 60 Hz
installation with a PTO generator
( main-engine driven generator)
with a capacity of 3-4 MVA and

auxiliary generators with a capacity

of 2 or 3 times 2 MVA. The required
power when loading or discharging
cargo in port would be 3-4 MVA.

Generators and motors

Standard generators and motors in

high-voltage execution are not very
different in appearance and cost
from low-voltage standard motors.
Azipod propulsion systems are only
available in high-voltage execution.

DP crane-vessel and J-Iay Pipe-layer equipment.

New developments DC
systems

Generator sets will produce the required power first at AC, with a constant frequency.
When converted via DC into AC with
varia ble voltage and frequency,
they can supply an AC motor with
power at the most efficient speed.
Also electric heaters can be stepless controlled by semi-conductor
devices.
Of course, there are also items of
the electrical system that require a
fixed voltage and a fixed frequency,
but these are limited.

Semi-conductor converters are under rapid development, with prices

going down and quality improving
with lower harmonics. Semi-conductor converters make it possible
to control stepless the speed of a
fan to produce just the required
air-flow, a pump to produce the required liquid flow or a compressor
to produce the required amount of
compressed gas.
For example the cooling-water
pump for an airconditioning system can have its speed adjusted
to the cooling demand. This saves
energy as the air does not have to
be heated first and cooled afterwards to achieve and maintain the
desired temperature in the space
to be cooled. Similarly, the coolingwater pumps for an engine, when
regulated by this type of converters, produce sufficient flow to keep
the engine at the correct temperature, using as parameters the water
temperature, the air temperature
and the engine load.
Water chillers which produce the
right amount of chilled water as demanded by the various systems are
also more environmentally friendly
and energy-saving. Excess cold
used to be dumped, wasting energy.

IIi

3,4oo/23OV - 50 H,

,J 0

Having a look at the above one-line

diagram, with equipment based on
the load-balance, the 'normal' today's solution requires many components/parts:
1. Two or more diesel-generators
producing
constant
voltage,
constant frequency and sinusoidal rotating voltage,
2. A generator control panel with
an AC circuit breaker and synchronising
and
loadsharing
equipment,
3. Complicated shore connections
with converters to adapt to the
shore voltage and frequency,
converting this power to the required power for the ship,
4. Out-going groups with AC circuit
breakers supplying AC throughout the ship,

5. Large frequency converters for

bow and stern thrusters to limit
starting currents, and preventing voltage drops,
6. Many small frequency converters for single consumers or
groups of consumers requiring
the same frequency.
Note: sometimes filters are added
to eliminate distortions and create
a "clean" distribution system

Generator control panel

9:9
9
to
J J .;- - J J
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3,400/230V - 50 H,

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Stepping back to look at the real

requirements for this installation
gives a different approach with the
following list (above diagram):
1. Diesel-generators producing
electric energy.
2. Shore connections converting
shore power into the ship's energy system.
3. Converters converting this electric energy into suitable voltage
and frequency for the single
consumers and groups of consumers.
4. Two relatively small converters
converting the ship's energy
into a clean constant voltage
and constant frequency system
for dedicated consumers.

Using
today's
semi-conductor
switching devices, to connect and
disconnect under normal operating
conditions up to their switching capabilities, protected by high speed
DC fuses against short-circuits,
could result in a more simple system.
The bus-bar separation, same as
required in an AC system and division of essential duplicated consumers over these two sections
would lead to a redundant system.

1;. r;ii.
[J L:J

EJ

'EJ

r;fr;r

LJ []

A Failure Mode and Effect Analysis

(FMEA) for the first new designs
could help to get the rules adapted
and the design approved.

The ship's energy system could also

be designed and installed using DC
as main power. When designed in
accordance with the still existing,
but outdated classification rules,
with the consequence of complicated DC switch-gear, this would
reduce the feasibility due to complexity, cost and maintenance.

DC-DC converter

Reducing the DC distribution rules

to their basics: safe to operate,
reliable, self-monitoring and selfprotecting, there could be a more
feasible design and installation in
accorda nce with today's state-ofthe-art solution .
AC-AC converter
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a:w
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0<: I--,

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::J:=
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DC one line with short-circuit fuses and semiconductor DC switches

.6.

GENERATOR
400V 50Hz 1500RPM
400V60Hz 1800RPM

[!]

SEMICONDUCTOR
DC SWITCH

6 PULSE RECTIFIER

INVERTER DC/AC

SHORT CIRCUIT
FUSES

Short-circuit calculations are

needed to determine the required switching capabilities of
the circuit breakers, the breaking capabilities of fuses and the
dynamical strength of bus-bars
and other current carriers.
Type-approved and type-tested
bus-bar systems and switchboard assemblies are sufficiently available so that custom design of these components is not
necessary.

Short-circuit behaviour
of generators

A high short-circuit capacity is

commercially
undesirable as it
increases the cost of the switchgear., however" a fixed relation
exists between the nominal capacity of a generator and the ability to produce larger currents. For
instance when an electric motor is
started within the limitations of the
voltage dips .

On the left page a set of photos is

shown of an accident and a test-initiated arc in a low voltage 400 V 50
Hz distribution panel with a shortcircuit level of only 15kA RMS.
1. Short-circuit accident.
A large mobile crane, outside,
came too close with its jib to an
overhead high-voltage distribution
lane. An arc develops, as the crane
has earth via retractable supports,
being set down at the time of the
accident.
When the fault has been cleared by
an upstream circuit breaker, both
the crane and the asphalt road are
still on fire.
2. Short-circuit test in a laboratory
In a standard electrical cabinet, two
bus-bars are installed vertically.
Between the bus-bars a thin conductor is fitted horizontally.
When the bus-bars are connected
to a high voltage supply, the short. circuit is arranged via the thin conductor, resulting in an arc.
The thin conductor melts instantly,
but the arc is maintained.
After 3 seconds the power supply to
the bus-bars is disconnected.

Instantaneous behaviour of a generator is generally the result of the

dimensions of that generator and is
not influenced by a control system
such as an automatic voltage regulator.
In short, a generator with a low
reactance is capable of supplying
large starting currents without excessive voltage dips, when starting
a large motor.
A low-reactance generator will also
produce large currents when shortcircuited . This requires more expensive SWitch-gear.
A high-rectance generator is not capable of producing the starting currents of large motors. This type of
motors will then require star delta
starters, auto-transformer starters
or even soft electronic starters to
keep the voltage within the limits of
the generator.
A generator needs to be able to produce a short-circuit current which is
large enough to trip a circuit breaker or interrupt a fuse anywhere in
the system. When the generator is
not able to produce this current the
circuit breaker or fuse will not disconnect a short-circuit.
When this short-circuit is not interrupted in time this may lead to
a fire. Short-circuit capability is
therefore an essential feature of a
ship's generator.
Voltage dips caused by starting and
stopping of large consumers have
to be limited to the minimum figure that causes failure of the other
consumers. Contactors open at coil
voltages lower than 65% of nominal. Incandescent lights flicker at
voltages below 80% of nominal.
Fluorescent lights show a change
below 90% and the halogen lights
used on yachts already react when
the voltage drops to 95% of the
nominal voltage.

Short-circuit current of
AC systems

In the absence of precise data the

prospective fault current for alternating-current systems on the
main switchboard may be estimated to be the sum of: 10 times the
full load rated current for each generator that may be connected.
The value obtained above is approximately the symmetrical RMS

current and a value for the breaking capacity of the circuit breakers
and fuses.
At a power factor of 0.1 the associated peak value of the short-circuit
current is approximately 2.5 times
the above value.
This peak value should be taken
into account when determining the
making capacity of circuit breakers and the required mechanical
strength of the bus-bar system.
The peak value determines the
forces between the bus-bars.
Example of calculation in chapter 4 .

Short-circuit current of
DC systems

The short-circuit current of batteries at their terminals can be calculated as follows:

- 15 times the ampere hour rating of the battery, for battery
systems intended for a low rate
of discharge, such as a battery
duration exceeding 3 hours.
- 30 times the ampere hour rating of the battery, consisting of
sealed lead acid cells or alkaline
cells having a capacity of 100 Ah
or more, intended to discharge
at high rates, corresponding to
a battery duration of less than
3 hours.
- to get the total short-circuit current in a DC system, 6 times the
full-load current of all DC motors in service should be added
to the values as found for the
batteries.
When the prospective short-circuit
values obtained, with the quick
check as described above, exceed
the maximum allowed values, more
detailed calculations must be made.
When making detailed short-circuit calculations for AC systems
in ships these should be based on
IEC 61363 Electrical installations
of ships and mobile and fixed offshore units - Part 1: Procedures for
calculating short-circuit currents in
three-phase a.c. systems.
Particular to ships are the short cables in combination with the sometimes high prospective short-circuit
currents.
It must be noted that the majority of design offices use special
computer programs, like Etap and
EDSA, to model the electrical system and calculate short-circuits.

More advanced short-circuit calculations AC systems

The calculations start with a simple estimate, without any figures from the generator and is based on general
experience, followed by a simple improvement involving some data from the generator.
A third still relatively easy improvement, giving, however, a less significant reduction, is a calculation incorporating cable data. In all cases also the contribution of the electric motors in service has to be added.

4.1

First estimate without generator data.

When no detailed generator is available a first estimate of the short-circuit currents can be made. The values for
the nominal power and voltage of the generator are selected arbitrarily as an example.
Nominal power Sn (kVA)

Example 1000kVA

Nominal voltage Un (V)

Example 400V

Nominal Current In (A)

S
1000
n_ in this example _ _ _ _ approximately 1400A.
Can be calculated from I = _ _
n
Unv'3
400v'3

When no further data is available most classification societies use the following calculation to determine the
short-circuit current : I k RMS = 10 . In
In this example this would be 14000A (RMS) for one generator. For each additional generator of the same size
this value is added so when you have for example three of these generators feeding a switch-board in parallel
the Ik RMS will be 42000A or 42kA. This is the current that the circuit breakers and fuses shall be able to interrupt, called the breaking capacity.
Another essential figure is the maximum current that the circuit breaker has to interrupt if closed on a shortcircuit. This is indicated as the asymmetrical peak value, in formula I peak = 2.5 Ik RMS
If no data are available the rule of thumb gives 2.5 times the RMS value so in the example 35000A peak for one
generator and 105kA peak for three generators .
This is the current the circuit breaker shall be able to make, called the making capacity.
The capability figures for circuit breakers, like making and breaking capacities, are given in de maker's documentation. When this documentation indicates that a circuit breaker can handle the breaking of a short-circuit only
once, one or more spare circuit breakers of the relevant type must be carried on board.
This peak value determines also the maximum forces between the conductors and bus-bars. For bus-bars this
value must be used to determine the mechanical strength which the bus-bar system must be able to withstand.
With the design of the bus-bar system the outcome of this will be used to select bus-bar supports and their spacing .

4.2

Improved calculation with data from the generator.

When more information is available from the generator the short-circuit calculation can be improved. The
example shows the result when the sub-transient reactance of the generator, which is the impedance of the
generator directly after a short-circuit in the first 0-6 cycles, would be available which is set here for 12%
Sub-transient reactance X"d (%), in this example 12%
The short-circuit current Ik RMS equals to I k rm s =

n
X"d

Stator resistance Ra (mQ)

Stator reactance can be calculated from

From the ratio -

U2
Xa = x"d . _ n_
Sn

In this example

1400

12000A rms = 12kA

12%
In this example 2mQ
400 2
12 .
1000 = 19.2

Un
Sn

= the

nominal voltage
nominal rated
power.

= the

Ra

2
which in this example is - - = 0.1, the cos <p and the surge factor (See graph on page 52, top)
Xa
19.2

The result is a cos <p = 0.1 and a surge factor X = 1.65

I peak = Ik rms . X . v'2

The peak short-circuit can then be calculated as :

The outcome is 12000 . 1.65 . v'2 equals 28kA peak a substantial lower figure than the earlier result .

4.3

Improved calculation with data from cables

A further but smaller improvement in the accuracy of the short-circuit calculation is to take into account the
resistances and impedances of cables connecting the generator to the sWitch-board.

rl . I

xl I

RI cable resistance is RI ==

XI == cable reactance. == XI == -

rl, xl and I are the specific resistance, specific reactance and length of a cable and n the number of parallel cables.
Example figures per metre cable are as follows:

Cable type

rl en 0.204 per km or mn per metre)

3 x 120 mm 2

xl mn per metre 50Hz

and x mn 60Hz

0.164

0.072

0.086

(200A) 0.204

0.075

0.090

3 x 70 mm 2

0.280

0.075

0.092

3 x 95 mm

The generator in this example, with a nominal current of 1400A (see 4.1L can be connected to the Main Switchboard with 7 parallel cables 3 x 95 mm2. When the length of these cables is set to 20 metres the cable resistance
can be calculated as follows:
RI ==

rl . I
- - equal to

20 . 0.204

== 0.6 mQ.

xl . I
The cable reactance is XI == - - ==

20 . 0.075

== 0.22 mQ.

The total resistance R == Ra + RI == 2 + 0.6 == 2.6 mQ.

The total reactance is X == Xa + XI == 19.2 + 0.22== 19.4 mQ.
The impedance Z ==

v'RT+-)(2

The short-circuit current Ik RMS

v'2.6 2

Un
v'3 . Z

19.42 == 20.2 mQ.

400
== 11.8 kA RMS. This is not a big change compared
v'3 . 20.2
to the previously found result of 12 kA

== 0.14 the surge factor is X == 1.55 and thus the asymmetrical peak value
X
1.55v'2.11.8 kA or 24.9 kA peak.

With the more accurate -

The following are the conclusions from the example

short-circuit currents .
4.1 first estimate
14kA RMS
Ik
2.5
Surge factor X
35kA peak
Ipeak

4.4

calculations above for the contribution of a generator to the

4.2 with gen data
12kA RMS
1.65 v'2
28kA peak

4.3 with cable data

11.8kA RMS
1.55 v'2
24.9kA peak

Adding motor data

To complete short-circuit calculations the contribution of running motors must be added. To make this part of the
calculation some values have been assumed as an example.
Nominal power Sn (kVA)
Example 700kVA
Example 400V
Nominal voltage Un (V)
Nominal Current In (A)

5
Can be calculated from I == __
n _ in this example
n
Unv'3

700

approximately 1000A.

400v'3

When there is no further data available most classification societies use the following calculation to determine
the short-circuit current Ik RMS == 3.5 In
In this example this would be 3500A (RMS)
The surge factor X can be taken from the generator figures.
The resulting figures for the motor contribution to the short- circuit values are for each type of calculation:
4.1 first estimate
4.2 with gen data
4.3 with cable data
3.5kA RMS
3.5kA RMS
3.5kA RMS
Ik
2.5
1.65 v'2
1.55 v'2
Surge factor X
8.75kA peak
8.2 kA peak
7.6 kA peak
I peak

4.5

Conclusions

The conclusion from the example calculations above is that when more data is available and there is sufficient
time to process this the results will be more accurate.
Generator plus Motor contribution
4.3 with cable data
4.1 First estimate
4.2 with gen data
17.5 kA RMS
14.9 kA RMS
15.5 kA RMS
Ik total RMS
43.75kA peak
36 .2kA peak
32.5 kA peak
Ik total peak

cos cp

2.0

1.0

_\

1.8
1,65

1\

1.6
1.4
1.2
1.0 ~

~~

0.6

"- ~ ~ l.."I "

r"'""
~ r.....
............

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

0.4
0.2
0,1

0.8

1.0

1.2

RlX

Value of surge factor X in relation to RjX value of net

c
Q)

::::::I

(J

"-

'"
a

"-

""

I.

Slowdecaying a.c. component

- - - - - - - \\
c

.J

d C component
'

(0.368 x OY)

'-

~------

........

Time---

L.~-- __ _

r-/

------......1

short-circuit currents close to a generator with details of components

Symmetrical

Asymmetrical

Subtrans.

Transient

2./2I'k

ip

----_

--- -----rs
2./2I k

iPv ___\

short-circuit currents near a generator (schematic diagram).

Mechanical strength of bus-bars

MAX CONTINUOUS CURRENT (AMP)

TEMP RISE 3DK

TEMP RISE 5DK

BUS BAR CROSS

1 RAIL

2 RAIL

1 RAIL

2 RAIL

SECTION

25X5

433

776

327

586

30X5

502

890

379

672

40X5

639

1108

482

836

50X5

772

1317

583

994

60X5

912

1524

688

1150
1450

80X5

1173

1921

885

30X10

756

1300

573

986

40X10

944

1624

715

1230

50XlO

1129

2001

852

1510

80X10

1643

2796

1240

2110

100X10

1974

3286

1490

2480

Circuit breaker

Maximum current ratings of bus-bar systems

MAX SUPPORT DISTANCE RELATED TO PEAK CURRENT AND BUS BAR SIZE
Ipeak (kA)

11

24

48

63

82

Irms (kA)

12

23

30

39

BUS BAR
SINGLE Busbar

DOUBLE Busbar

25x5

1000

527

261

200

154

30x5

1000

578

286

219

169

40x5

1000

667

331

253

195

50x5

1000

746

370

284

218

60x5

1000

837

416

318

245

80x5

1000

944

468

359

276
218

25X5

1000

746

370

284

30X5

1000

817

406

311

239

40X5

1000

944

468

359

276

50X5

1000

1000

524

401

309

60X5

1000

1000

588

451

342

80X5

1000

1000

663

508

342

Maximum support distances for bus-bar systems

Thermal rating of busbars

The figures from the short-circuit

calculation determine the required
capabilities of the circuit breakers
and the required strength of the
bus-bar system in the switchboard.
Switchboards are usually typetested so the capabilities are verified in a laboratory or assembled
from type-tested parts.
Also the bus-bar system is usually
manufactured out of type-tested
parts as bus-bars and their supports.
The tables give the maximum continuous current (A) for single- and
double-rail systems.
Using the basic data and results
from the example short-circuit calculation on pages 50 and 51 allows
the selection of the bus-bar system
for one generator as follows. The
results are taken from the calculations with cable data and contribution of motors being Ik" 14.9kA
and Is 32,5kA
The 1000kVA generator has a nominal current of 1400A which allows
the selection of a double bus-bar
system of 60x5mm with a temperature rise of SOC which can carry
1524A
Using this selection the support
distance in relation to the peak
current can be selected. Selecting
the column with Ipeak 48kA and
Ik" (RMS) 23kA will be correct in
relation to the outcome of the calculations (32.5kA/14.9kA). A maximum support distance of 588mm
would be allowed. A practical choice
for this would be 500mm.

Main switchboard bus bar supports

See the tables on this page for details on which the values related to
this example are coloured.

This section explains the differences between a circuit breaker

and a contactor, which both
make and break a circuit.
The main difference between a
circuit breaker and a contactor
is that a circuit breaker is designed to detect and switch a
short-circuit current and overload current when applicable,
whereas a contactor is an automated switch.

Circuit breakers and

contactors

A contactor has far better electrical

properties than a circuit breaker,
but it is all related to the nominal
current.
A small, miniature, circuit breaker
with a nominal rating of 16A can
interrupt a short-circuit current of
6000 A, which is nearly 400 times
the nominal current, however, this
can be done only a few times.

A contactor of 16 A can switch on

the starting current up to 160 A of
a 16 A nominal motor thousands of
times.
It also can interrupt the full-load
current of 16 A thousands of times.
A contactor will weld or destroy
its contacts at 6000 A short-circuit
current.

16 Ampere circuit breaker

(width 3 cm)

~.

250 Ampere circuit breaker (width 30 cm)

90 Ampere circuit breaker (10 cm)

,
t[sec

ION 1-SlTR3SS-1 OOOA

NSl400N-SlTR:'3SlIO-400A

When a contactor is used to interrupt a fault current of more than

10 times the nominal current for
which it has been designed for, its
contacts will melt together or the
contactor explodes .
Contactors have to be protected
against fault currents by circuit
breakers or fuses .

NSll eON-SlTR2:'SlIO-SOA
C e ON-9 -25A

1000

100

"

10

A circuit breaker is therefore not

very suitable for starting a large
motor and a contactor is not suitable for interrupting a large current.
The switching capabilities of Circuit
breakers are given for different
conditions.
Some circuit breakers are capable
of interrupting a fault current one
time only and have to be replaced
like a fuse .
Consequently for this type of circuit
breakers having spares on board is
mandatory.
Moulded-case circuit breakers, especially the current limiting types,
can only be replaced as a whole.
Replacement of contacts is not
possible without special tools available.

\.

tr..

"'-

'\

II

p .1 .

p .01

10

100

1000

10000

I [ A]

Current versus time charactaristic of 4 circuit breakers in series

For the purpose of starting a large

motor, a contactor is needed, especially if the starting is directon-line. Direct-on-line starting will
cause a starting current of about
8 to 10 times the nominal current,
for which contactors are designed.
A circuit breaker is able to sWitch
on a current about 25 times nominal and break a current about 10
times nominal, but fewer times
than a contactor.
The performance figures (data
sheet) of circuit breakers and contactors have to be used to determine what is the best solution for a
particular system.

5000 Ampere circuit breaker,

approximately 1 metre wide

Circuit breakers, rated 630A-6300A

nominal, have a closing capacity of
220 kA and a breaking capacity of
100 kA for a limited number of operations.

1000 Ampere circuit breaker approximately 0.5 metre wide with

different types of protection devices i.e. : generator protection, motor
protection or distribution protection relays

1000 Ampere circuit breaker

"<.. ,.

2
DIAGRAM OF SMALL 16A
CIRCUIT BREAKER

MAIN
CONTACTS

AUXILIARY
CONTACTS

III IL2 IL3 IN

of4\.- ~0~~-- - --

0j- tfl-1

OVERLOAD PROTECTION
SHORT CIRCUIT PROTECTION

Scheme of a small mechanical circuit breaker 16A.

The picture below shows the components.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

--

10

r'

--I
__ I

lock
main contacts
overload protection
short-circuit protection
arcing chamber

Contactors (magnet
switches)

The closing mechanism of a contactor is operated by a coil pulling

an iron core and thus closing the
contacts. Opening is by de-energising the coil and small springs
open the contacts . The force of the
coil depends on the voltage.
When a large motor is started direct on-line, creating a large voltage drop at the starter and thus
at the coil, the contacts may open
during the starting current.
AC coils drop out below 80% voltage.
Replacing the AC coil by a DC coil
with a saving resistance in series
as soon as the contacts are closed
allows voltage drops up to 50%.
Also other contactors supplied from
the same power source may drop
out during load steps.
The voltage dips caused by
steploads are to be tested during
commissioning of the installation.

The 16 Ampere cirCUit breaker, showing its components needed to interrupt the short-circuit current
MAIN
CONTACTS

AUXILIARY

CLOSING

OPENING

Small contactor with a rating of

12A which is about Bcm wide.

.-

o
o

Is
I
U<
p
kW>

'--_---" ELECTRONIC PROTECTION UNIT

Simplified diagram of a large motor

operated 1000A circuit breaker.
1. lock
2. main contacts
3. current transformers

LARGE MOTOR OPERATEP

CIRCUIT BREAKER

4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

voltage transformers
electronic protection unit
spring charge motor
opening coil
closing coil
spring

Large contactor with two main contacts per phase to obtain a 1 DDDA
rating. This contactor is almost 1m
wide.


DII. Dill. DIV

Size:
Operational class:
Rated voltage:
Rated current:

gG
500 V AC/500 V DC
2 ... 100A

Time/current characteristic curves diagram

The aim of selectivity is to isolate a fault, due to short-circuit

or overload, as fast and close as
possible to the fault. This is to
leave as many systems alive and
healthy as possible

Selectivity

Selectivity, or discrimination, is the

technique to ensure that there is
coordination between the operating characteristics of circuit breakers connected in series. The aim of
this is to make sure that only the
circuit breaker upstream of a fault
trips and that other parts of the installation are not affected .
A design should ensure at least
minimum selectivity as per classification requirements. Manufacturers of protective devices, such as
circuit breakers and fuses, provide
selectivity tables for their products
which can be used with the design.
Also special modelling software can
be used to assist with determining
time-current coordination .
Most circuit breakers have two
specific tripping zones. One is the
overload zone and the other the
short-circuit zone
The overload zone is the area between the rated current of the circuit breaker itself and 8-10 times
this value. In this zone the thermal
protection of the circuit breaker is
active . On the graph with circuit
breaker trip curves on this page
marked "overload" this zone is
marked.
The short-circuit zone is the area
above the overload zone i.e . with
currents above the 8-10 times
rated range as indicated above. In
this zone the magnetic protection
will be active, specifically when a
short-circuit oCcurs. On the graph
with circuit breaker trip curves on
this page marked "short-circuit"
this zone is also marked.
. Overload settings protect the cable and the consumer against sustained overcurrents.
Overload protection devices are
not always fully adjustable, especially in small circuit breakers.
Those smaller circuit breakers are
available with different curves like
for instance for motor protection or
cable protection .

Diazed is the European

standard for screw-cap fuses

.10. ~,,<iliJ!I!!Ol<( ~i

I: -- :-_l - "'~~~"'IHI~~U~
_
-:4n~W++-l--

Diazed fuses come in sizes DII up

to 25A and DIll up to 63 A.
Larger sizes DIV and DV are not
considered suitable for ship installation due to excessive temperature
rise. Some Class Rules exclude the
types larger then 320A for shortcircuit protection.
Diazed fuses are relatively simple
and cheap protection devices with
a rather wide tolerance.
The 4 A fuse melts slower than a
2 A fuse and faster than a 6 A fuse.
To obtain selectivity with fuses, it
is generally sufficient to leave one
size in between.
Fuses are also available with different melting curves .
These vary from "normal" for
standard final sub-circuits for lighting and "slow" for motor circuits
acting slightly slower.
Special very fast interrupting fuses
are available to protect semi-conductor circuits.

--

.J

10'~

~7i'_
.-

10'tlal_~~
101 ~

~~
"'m
10".

:10'72
ffi1IImJ
46
B10'
4

810'

104S
103s
102S
10s
1s

Circuit breaker trip

curves with overload zone highlighted.

101s
10-2S

104 s

1kA

10kA

1Q3s
102S

10s

... --:

1s

>

,"
I

10-1s

--

.....

lIIt~

1'"

Circuit breaker trip

10 s
I.

"'-

...........

10kA............

, I curves with shortcircuit zone high lighted.

Series
fuses

6 810'

I..,[AJ----

Simplified diagram of interrupting

currents / time of diazed fuses.

OVERLOAD Short-circuit

0.1kA

.=-- -~

- -+-----j-+-l-I-++HI+-tI-\-l\-\I-\\++\-N--\+I---l-I--HHH ---H
- ---

of diazed

[It [se,,1

111 1111

Mi

Ii iw

a
2

1;lliil~111I
m
~i~~~~~~i~

k:34llJ5Q 'ON,:'SVRaSQel000A

fiil 1eON-fiiITR2 2fiUiL-8DA

f-- f-'

e ON-9 -25A

1000

250

~B

100 125

53
40

Ito.

100

355
BO
50

I...

"'.

A-:r
~

10

I'

'\

~~
:r7

""
~

a.
'"

~II.IIII
IIIIIIIII !II I I
O,4 W
0,2

VII

11111111

II

11 I 11111

11

1 1111111

- 51<>.,

0, I

0,2

0,4 0,60,8 I

6 810

20

:J)r;A4<)

60 80 100

Prospective sho rt circuit rurrent (kA) - . .

Current limitation diagram for fuses 40A - 400A

4.

Current limitation with

fuses

One of the most important features

of fuses is their current limiting
ability. Current limiting is the effect
that a faulted circuit is isolated before the fault current has sufficient
time to reach its ma ximum value. A
fuse will melt very fast and thereby
limiting the total energy delivered
to the fault. This fast fault isolation
also lim its thermal and mechanical
stresses on the system and avoids
damage and down time.
Fuses are sometimes used as primary protection for one or more
circuit breakers where high shortcircuit levels are ex pected and
the short-circuit rating of the circuit breaker(s) is not sufficient for
these levels.
To determine the current limitation
of a fuse a calculation can be made
but an easier method is to use the
current limitation diagram provided
by the manufacturer of a fuse,
The current limiting diagram on
this page shows an ex ample of the
determination of the let-thru current of a typical 160A fuse. It must
be noted that manufacturers produce their own current limitation
diagrams and those should be used
with any particular design .
In the example a prospective shortcircuit of 30kA ha s been calculated,
The black diagonal lines in the diagram represent the peak values for
the short-circuit. The top line is the
peak value with the DC component
(Ia = 1.8 Ik y'2) . The lower line
is the peak value without the DC
component (Is = Ik y'2)
When no fuses would be installed

II

0.1

I-- 1--

0 01
1 .

10

100

1000

10000

I [AJ

Time- current curves of a generator circuit breaker with

time delayed short-circuit protection and two circuit
breakers with direct operating short-circuit protection.

the peak value would be at its ma ximum, In the example a red line is
drawn to the top line and then followed horizontally to the left to find
a value of approximately 75kA.
When fuses are installed one of the
green limiting curves for the ' particular rating can be used to find the
peak value. In the example this will
be approximately 13kA by following
the red line again in the same way
as above but using the green fuse
current limit line for the 160A fuse
of the ex ample instead .
The effective RMS short-circuit value after the fuse can be found by
drawing a red line down from the
diagonal peak value line to the line
with the prospective short-circuit
current. In the example this results
in a short-circuit current of approximately 5kA.

Q4 00N-&TR:23Q ...... OOA

E.!!li!l.

224

Selectivity diagrams

Selectivity diagrams are used to

visuali ze the relation between
the overload and short-circuit trip
curves of series-connected protection devices such as fuses and
circuit breakers . The selectivity
diagram on this page shows the
time-current trip curves of a generator circuit breaker and two circuit
breakers supplied by this breaker.
The cu rve in red represents a typical motor supply circuit with a thermal curve for overload protection
and an instantaneous short-circuit
relay. The generator circuit breaker has to be able to switch off any
current, that the generator (or the
total capability of the other generators) can produce further down stream.

This does not impair the redundancy of the basic design .

To have a totally selective installation would be very difficult and
could mean the installation of expensive selective circuit breakers
in the main switchboard . That is
why partial selectivity is often selected in the design but this could
mean that on a short-circuit more
than the faulty circuit will be disconnected . This could endanger redundancy in the installation which
is especially critical for DP-vessels.
This leads to an expensive installation.
However, redundancy of the basic
design can also be met by dividing
the duplicated essentials over more
downstream distribution boxes,
powering t hese boxes through current limiting devices.
This enables the use of less sophisticated switchgear downstream as
the fault current is limited by the
upstream circuit breaker. The redundancy of the essential consumer is guaranteed because its twin
is supplied from a different upstream circuit. This limits the cost
of all downstream switchgear with
respect to circuit breakers, fuses ,
bus - bar systems, etc.
Redundancy is again based upon
the single-failure principle. If a second fault happens to the second
identical downstream distribution
box, the other duplicated essential
could be lost and propulsion stops.
Further redundancy requirements
are found in paragraph 2.

"

'Type Approval' is an independent certification service, providing

certificates stating that a product is

in conformity with a specific standard or specification and verification

of the production quality system.

Introduction
TEST

Type Approval consists of a review

of the design against the classification rules as well as against internationally accepted standards,
witnessing of initial type testing
and verification of the production
process.
An ISO 9000 quality assurance certification of another notified body is
also acceptable.
The location onboard where the
equipment will be used determines
part of the required testing.
Type approved equipment has also
been tested and deemed suitable
for the marine environment as defined in the classification rules.
European Marine Equipment Directive (MED) is intended to ease
free movement of goods within
the European market. Equipment
certified by a notified body as per
MED directive may be used on all
European ships, independent of the
classification.
All Classification Bureaus accept
the MED certificates of other Classification Bureaus as well as MED
certificates of other notified bodies.

ENV 1

ENV2

ENV3

ENV4

ENV5

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

X
X
X
X
X
X
X

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

3 Pressure test
4 Insulation resistance
5 Power supply variation

6 Power supply failure

7 Inclination

8 ~ibration test 1
~ibration test 2

9 Humidity test 1

'j

Humidity test 2

10 Saltmist test

11 Dry heat test

~olartest

X
X

X
X
X

12 Low temp. test

13 High voltage test
14 Enclosure test
15 EMC test

Basic environmental tests

ENVIRONMENTAL CATEGORIES
CATEGORY

DESCRIPTION

AMBIENT TEMP. RANGE

ENV 1

Control/ed environment

To producers spec.

ENV2

Enclosed spaces subject

o temperature, humidity
and vibration

Min 5 C

ENV3

Enclosed spaces subject

o general heat from
other equipment

Min 5C

Max + 55C.

ENV4

Mounted on
reciprocating machines

Min 5 C

Max + 55 C.

ENV 5

Open decks

Min - 25 C

Max + 70 DC.

Max + 55C.
,

Environmental
conditions

Before type approval testing can

commence the environmental conditions must be defined. The general environmental conditions for
air and seawater are:
-

ENVIRONMENTAL CATEGORY

1 ~isual inspection
2 Performance test

Using type approved equipment

eases class approval but does not
away with the normal certification
requirements as further detailed in
Chapter 27 Testing and Commissioning.

It is based on design review, initial

type testing and verification of the
production process.

Temperature air 45 centigrade

(figures can differ for restricted
services)
Temperature seawater 32 centigrade (temperatures can differ
for restricted services)
Maximum humidity 95% not
condensing,

The maximum ship movements are

defined as:
-

Trim: +/- 5,
Pitching: +/- 5
List: +/- 22.5
Roll: +/- 22.5.

TYPE APPROVED

Type approval tests

3.1

Vibration

The object to be tested is placed on

a support which is fixed to the core
of an electromagnet.

The current and frequency in the

coil of the electromagnet can be
adjusted in order to create any desired vibration. The desired vibration is chosen in relation to the expected environment where the unit
has to operate.

A modern diesel engine with standard control and monitoring system fitted on the engine. This unit has also been tested for severe vibration levels as can be expected on a diesel engine. The touch screen control box,
mounted in the above control unit is tested separately.

Vibration test

Salt mist test

Radiated and conducted interference (EMC Susceptibility) is tested in a

special created environment.
ivlBRATION TESTS
ENV 1

Displacement

1.5 mm

2 - 13 Hz

General

Accelleration

10 m/sec2

13 - 100 Hz

ENV2

Displacement

1.5 mm

2 - 28 Hz

On engines

Accelleration

10 m/sec2

28 - 200 Hz

3.2

Salt environment

Equipment which has to be installed

outside, and is exposed to the salty
atmosphere, needs to be subjected

to a salt-mist test.
Therefore it is placed for a certain
time in a closed box where this environment is simulated.

'-'-_____________________~-~._ : ,.-_

"':'- =~=--:

_... _ipll!E!nt

3.3

Dry heat and solar radiation

A dry heat test is required for equipment which has to

be installed in spaces subject to generated heat, such
as engine rooms and boiler rooms.
A solar radiation test is required for equipment which

has to be installed on open deck and is directly subjected to the sun.

The dry heat test creates an environment where the
complete apparatus is evenly heated up to the required
temperature.

Dry heat test

The solar radiation test (below) heats the equipment up from one direction only.
This creates also mechanical stresses.

3.4

Low temperature

3.7

When a piece of equipment IS intended to be installed on an open

deck this needs to be subjected to
a low temperature test.

3.5

EMC

Is required for equipment incorporating active electronic components.

High voltage

All electrical equipment needs to be

subjected to a high voltage test.
The relation between nominal
voltage and high test voltage to be
taken as per following table.

HIGH VOLTAGE TEST

Rated Voltage Un

Test Voltage
a.c.(r.m.s.), V

500

Un 5 60
60<Un 51000

Un + 1000

1000 < Un 5 2500

6500

2500 < Un 5 3500

10000

3500 < Un 5 7200

20000

7200 < Un 5 12000

28000

12000 < Un 515000

38000

3.6

High voltage test

Enclosure

Equipment that needs to be used

un,der water or on the forecastle
(green water) has to be subjected
to a pressure test.
If the equipment is subject to spray
or dripping water a drip test is sufficient.

EMC test

Enclosure dripping test

Pressure test

All essential equipment must be

selected from the lists of typetested equipment.
If the chosen equipment is not
listed it must fulfill the requirements for type testing at least.

AIJil

Certificate
of Conformity (Module G)

mea
Maritima and COO$1guard Agency

An Executive Agency oj the

Department for Transport

Lloyd's Register Verification (LRV), having been appointed by the UK MCA as a "notified body" under the terms of The Merchant Shipping (Marine
Equipment) Regulations 5.1. 1999 No. 1957 and Article 9 of Council Directive 96/98/EC a~ amended by Commission Directives 98185/E(' 2001/S3/EC,
2002nS/EC and 2002/84/EC for Marine Equipment, certifies that:
LRV did undertake the relevant quality assessment procedures for the equipment of the manufacturer identified below which was found to be in
compliance with the Fire protection requirements of Council Directive 961981EC on marine equipment IlS amended above and in accordance with
Annex B. Unit Verification Module G, subject to the conditions below and in the attached Schedule which will also form part of this Certificate.

::::Mi\6iif.i;iefui\!i(::~::::;:::f,::::::::::::~;:::::::t:;:::::::;::::~::;:::::::::::;:::;:::::::::::::'::::: >:':":::;:::::;:::;::::::;:< .:?:':< :::;:P.:I~~f1jfj)d;;;CtiQn::" ':'.;::;:: ;::,:: ::. , ,' '; :.

Aalborg Industries Inert Gas System B.V.

same

::::8tld(~S:::::;:::: ::: :::';'::::;:::::{;::;::~;::::::::::::::'::':,::':::/:':>}:'::::::: : ,::::,:,::::::/:,::::,:;,;:::,

:; :::::::::::lIila~::

Annex A.l item no

','

...

.: :: ;":';'"

same

St. Hubertsstraat 10
6531 LB NIJmegen
The Netherlands

A.1/1.42

::::1~~6~:t!ii;r.:::::::::::::::~'::;::::::::':::;:':::::,::::;:;:::::;:::::;:\':::::::::;:':::::::::::{::;::::::::':::::::::,:::::::,::::::::::::::::::::;:::::,::::} ::;:;::::::~::::::>,,:::,,:::;:, :;::::'::::::':::::;':;::: ';,:::::;::;::':'::;:~::::::::::::::: :;::;::::::::::::::::::::::::':::;;::::Y::~:':

INERT GAS SYSTEMS COMPONENTS

:: M~'ilii~.er,;5-.:roila:oo';,.:: :: , :::: ::::;:

;, :::.:?.(Cid6t:i)j'es&rjpti&iT;:: ;:~, ;:::::::"::::';:::::/ :::::":::'.:'::' ,'; ,.,,:,:,'

::::'

Inert Gas system type: Gin 2500-0.15 FU

062.10.1.9530
:: ~r:Odii~('lil~niltYr)Ui'.\bet!:::>,;:::

.. :;:Z,::::,'.. : .,,::: ';:~;:::: : ::,<,>::;: ::;,

.;:;: :::::~:

:,:}::,:,:::::::::::,:;:::,: :.;:

::;::::::::~::::::::::;:;?::

Serial number 06830

Approval is subject 10 continued maintenance of the requirements of the above Directives and to ali products continuing to comply with the
standards and conditions of EC Type Examination Certificates issued by lloyd's Register Verification .
Date of Issue

Iss lied by :

16 January 2008

lloyd's Register Verification

EC Distinguishing No. 0038

Certificate no.

MED 08G0009 - (Control no: GR00805012)

Signed:

~~

Note. A technical file shall be maintained to record the above produ

of issue of this Certificate ,

Subject to the Manufacturer's cOmpliance with the foregoing, and tho~ conditions of Articles 10.1(1) and
1i of the Directive, the Manufacturer or his authorised representative.J allowed to affix the 'Mark of
Conformity' to the products above ,
This certificate is issued under the authority of the MeA.

0038/08

Llcyd's Register. its affiliates and subsidiaries ilnd their l espective officers, employee> or agents ~Ie. individually and collenively,
leferred to in this clause as the 'lloyd's Regisler Group' . The Lloyd'; Rpgister Group assumes no responsibility and Shilll not be 'iable
10 any person for any less, damage or expense caused by relianet'! on the informatron or advice in this cocument or hov-.'Soevef
provided. unless that person has signed a contrad with the relrNant lIoyd's Register Group entity for the provision of this
in/ormation or advice and in th at case any responsIbility or liability is exclusively on the terms and (ondil ions set out in that conttact.
form 1616V

ns
l~e8Xfer

]]0

ooos.On

The above certificate is a Type Approval Certificate with a MED logo

for an inert gas system.

The steering wheel on the certificate, shows that it fulfills the Marine
Equipment Directive (MED) requirements for type approval.

The MED certificate can be issued

after design appraisal, and testing.

An inert gas system produces an

inflammable gas, mostly N2 mixed
with C02, used in tankers as a
blanket above a dangerous cargo.
It serves two purposes: one to
avoid an explosive cargo-air mixture above the cargo, and secondly,
for certain cargoes, the prevention
of mixing of cargo with the oxygen
in the air.

The main purpose of Marine Equipment Directive approval is to ease

trade within the European community.
The equipment must be approved
as per accepted international standard and the approval system shall
be as per EC publication.
Furthermore, the system also consists of a design review and an ini-

tial test witnessed by the authorised body as well as a verification of

the production quality system.
Currently, MED certification is limited to safety, fire fighting, navigation, nautical and communication
eqUipment.
The 2007 European Community
represents a vast amount of customers.

J ll)\;(~8

l ,;\'(

J:PT ~l'1..lr

- \:'\"'L' -

.'-- .

USCC.fUMRA

iQ)~w

; 8 U REA

Type approved starboard double

sidelight

U ~'

Germanischer Lloyd

Marks of the Regulatory Bodies

European market

MED certified equipment carries

the wheel mark.

Bundesrepubllk Deutschland
Fe~ RepUblIc d Geml4tnl

Bundeaamt fOr Seeachifffahrt und Hydrographie

N:<irnr Mlvitfmo and Ijyt1fogrnphic ~nv"Y

EC TYPE EXAMINATION (MODULE B) CERTIFICATE

Thla " 10 certify thel:
&.tn<Jeesl)'lt fOr 5eesc:hifffahrt und Hy&ograptve. specIfied as a -not,fled body' under the tenns of
..5chlffssichertleitsg8S8tZ' of 9. September 1998 (8GBI. I, p. 2560) modified lasl 08. Apt iI, 2008l BGBI.
I, p, 706), <f<S undor\o*O the reA9vant type ~val procedurea for the equlpnlI)nt lden~led belOw v-tliCl'
was found to be In compliance wAh the NwYloetiOn reQuircmcnb of Marine Equ",ment Directive (MEO)
961981EC last modfied by Oirec1ive 2008.f67IEC.
Manufacturer

aqua ,i_
onal Aktleng.s~lIichaft

Address

Von-ThUnon-StraBe 12,28107 Bnmon.fG!RMANY

Applicant

aqua slOnlll Aktlenga:sell&chaft

v~n-fhunen~~Be
12.'2830;B,:ro~!,l. GeRMANY
,

Address
...

Anr.ex. A,1 Item

-' ',1

NavlgutlO"llghts

IfI & '\&1Il deslgllDlion1

Product Name

LEo:.Serie 85

Trade Nat{'i~l(s)

LEI).Sorio 65

8u~ fQr,See..chlf'rfahrt

und Hyclrographl&

Ikmrnar$M~tlt$tr. 78, 20359 Hamburg. Germany

NotIfIed bOdy' 0135-

,\

This W1ificalo consists of 2 pages.

by order

JA.i.,

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. 1":' ~. t.~H fff.Att!ll

II r,, \, ii:('
f 1'1'

This c(rOnC9lels Istiued

V2QQ8.0723

un~

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flt..: H /1

p ~,

It

the autmrtty 01 \he .,Bunr:);!6fYl1niS1eltJm f\)r Verteor, &lu ufld Sta<lt(jntwlc~lu()ot .

"'j'

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;z:

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,

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\"~'~i'rZ'-~A;\

Hazardous areas are those

areas where, due to continuous
or part-time presence of gases,
flammable liquids or even explosive dusts, the danger of explosion exists.
Hazardous areas are for instance
the tanks of a tanker with the
deck above, the cargo-handling
area, cargo-pump room, the car
decks of a ferry where cars are
stowed with fuel in their tanks, a
paint store or the hold of a drycargo ship certified for the carriage of dangerous cargo.
The most cost-effective solution
is not to install any electrical
equipment in dangerous areas.
The IP rating (International
Protection rating) as defined in
lEe 60529 classifies the degrees
of protection provided against
the intrusion of solid objects
including body parts like hands
and fingers, dust, accidental
contact and water.

Hazardous areas

Hazardous areas not only depend

on the type of cargo, but also the
locatio.n of the area in relation to
the location of the cargo .
Inland waterway tankers sometimes sail over sea and seagoing
tankers may sail a long distance
upriver. At sea or inland each have
specific requirements but with the
same intention.

Cargo tank zone 0 with level sensors

mabie liquids (other than liquefied

gases) having a flash point not exceeding 60C.
In the case of liquefied gases, the
cargo tank itself and the surrounding secondary barrier spaces are
classified as zone O.

2.2

Zone 1

Areas where during normal operation an explosive gas atmosphere

can be present periodically. Spaces
as adjacent to and below the top
of cargo tanks carrying crude oil,
oil products or chemicals etc . with
a flash point up to 60 degr. C. Also
spaces separated by a single deck
or bulkhead from zone 0, cargo
pumprooms, and spaces where
pipes for above cargoes are leading
through.

Hazardous cargoes are defined and

divided into the following groups:
1. Flammable liquefied gases
2. Flammable liquids with a flash
point below 60 e and liquids
heated to a temperature within
15 e of their flash point
3. Flammable liquids with a flash
point above 60 e
4. Hazardous goods and materials,
hazardous only when stored in
bulk

2.1

Additionally, the areas on open

deck within 3 metres of any cargo
tank outlet, cargo valve, cargo pipe
flange, cargo pump room outlets,
and within a 6 metre radius from a
high velocity discharge vent, up to
2.4 metres above deck .
A high velocity vent, often combined with the pressure / vacuum
valve, is a device which allows
gases to pass through at overpressure or underpressure (vacuum)
of the tank with which it is connected, thus preventing damage
to the tank structure. At overpressure, during loading of cargo, or
as a result of heating up by sun
radiation, the gases are blown out
at high speed. This is to prevent
those gases from forming a hazardous layer at deck level. During
loading, gases in cargo tanks which
are driven out by pumping in new
cargo, are normally collected in the
vapour return system and are recondensed in the refinery in order
not to pollute the atmosphere, and
to gain back cargo
Zone 1 Areas for IWW tankers
range from the outside of the cofferdam fore and aft of the cargo
tank area, at less than a 45 0 angie inwards up to 3 metres above
the tank deck . The height is thus,
higher than for seagoing tankers.
The areas considered dangerous
for the outlet of a high pressure
discharge valve have a radius of
only 2 metres.
The height above deck for high ve-.
locity vents outflow only has to be
one metre above deck, also much
lower than as per IMO, and has to
do with keeping the ship as low as
possible for under-bridge passage.

Division of dangerous
areas
Zone 0

Areas where an explosive gas atmosphere is continuously present,

such as inside a cargo tank of
crude oil, oil products, or a chemical products tanker carrying flam-

Testing cargo tank alarms

..

Tanker deck, zone 1, with pressure

vacuum valve with a high velocity
vent.

2.3

Zone 2

Areas wh ere an ex plosive gas atmosphere is not present during

normal operation and if present,
for a short period of time only, such
as tan kers carrying products w ith a
flash point above 60 0 C, dry-cargo
ships and Ro/ Ro spaces of ferries
if sufficiently ventilated .
Liquefied natural gases (LNG)
and vapours from petrol are
heav ie r than air and any opening to a deck or space below is
subject to further study w ith respect to zoning .

Selection of certified
equipment

Selection of certified equipment for

haza rdous areas has to be based
upon the cargo .
Gases are divided into the following
groups :
- I: Methane, such as in coal
mines
- II: General industrial gases and
gases from combustible liquids and combustible solid
materials
- lIA: Propane
- lIB: Ethylene
- lIC : Hydrogen
Apart from the relevant gas group,
certified safe equipment shall also
be selected on the basis of the
ma x imum surface temperature
during operation. This surface temperature must be below the ignition temperature of the gas from
the cargo and is stated in the cargo
lists (the certified booklet on board
a vessel with the allowed types of
cargo) .

Temperature classes and max imum

surface temperatures are :

Tl: < 450 C

T2 : 3000 C
T3: 200 C

T4: 135 C
T5: 100 C
T6: 85 C

Summary of certified
means of protection
Certified intrinsically safe
certified intrinsically safe category lb
Flame proof equipment type " d"
Pressurised equipment type " p"
. Non sparking equipment type
" Nil
equipment for cable trays and
cables
Cables with metall ic shielding
and non - metallic impervous
outer sh ielding

Ex ample of ex tract from cargo list

SUMMARY OF MINIMUM REOUIREMENTS
PRODUCT NAME

HAZARDS

REOTS
VENTILATION

EXAMPLES OF
ENV. CONTROL

TEMP
CLASS

SAFETY

CONTROLLED

INERTING

T1T6

POLUTION

OPEN

DRYING

APP
GROUP
IIA.IIB orll

NON FL
YES >60'

CONTROLLED

NO REO.

T2

IIA

NO <60'

CONTROLLED

NO REO.

T3

IIA

NO <60'

ISOPROPYL ETHER

SIP
SIP
SIP

CONTROLLED

INERTING

MANGO KERNAL OIL

POLUTION

OPEN

NO REO.

SIP

CONTROLLED

NO REO.

T1

IIA

ACRYLIC ACID
CYCLOHEXYLAMINE

NITRO BENZENE

Intrinsically safe
equipment

Intrinsically safe eqU ipment is

equ ipment isolated by a barrier
unit; the barrier limits the energy
in the hazardous area to the extent
that it cannot cause a spark which
could start an ex plosion. The cable
from the barrier unit to the intrin sically safe un it in the dangerous
area must be routed separately
from other, not intrinsically safe cables to prevent the cable picking up
additional power through induction
that would exceed the IS safe limit.

4.2

Equipment in zone 0

In Zone 0, no other electrical

eqUipment than that which is certified intrinsically safe, category
"la ", can be used.

NO <60'

VENTILATION

SIP BOTH

FLASH
POINT

4.1

YES >60'
YES >60'

There are lists of dangerous cargoes, in the form of gases, liquids

and solid materials, stating the
requirements for electrical equipment in zones 1 and 2.

4.3

Separation by gastight
boundaries

A space separated by a gas tight

bulkhead or deck from another
space can be classified as a less
hazardous zone, taking into account sources of release and the
ventilation conditions.
Sources of release are venting and
other openings to cargo tanks, slop
tanks, cargo piping, piping systems
and equipment containing liquid or
gas having flanged joints or glands.
From the table is seen that preventing any potential leak in a
space and ventilation system can
ease the requirements for a space.
Details and more instructions can
be found in IEC standards 60092502 for tankers and IEC 60092-506
for ships carrying hazardous goods.
When the area classification depends on ventilation, failure of this
ventilation must be monitored and
alarmed and all equipment not
suitable for the area without ventilation, must be switched off.
Doors must not be fitted between a
hazardous and non-hazardous area
unless required operationally and
never in a zone 0 area.
An enclosed space with access to
zone 1 may be considered zone 2
and an enclosed space with access
to zone 1 may be considered nonhazardous, provided the space is
ventilated by overpressure and the
door is self-closing.

4.4

Equipment in hazardous
zones

4.5

Codes and standards for

hazardous areas.

With the design of electrical installations in hazardous areas typical

codes and standards should be
used. These may include Rules and
Regulations from Class, the American Petroleum Institute (API), European ATEX, IEC and others.

It should be noted that codes and

standards for equipment in hazardous areas are changing to more international standards like ATEX and
IEC Equipment Protection Levels
(EPL) and these should be checked
on a regular basis or at least at the
start of a project.

Zone 1. Tanker deck with flameproof motor

Equipment in zones 1 and 2 also

has to be selected and to fulfill requirements according to stringent
rules. In zone 1, in general intrinSically safe, flameproof or pressurized. In zone 2 some relaxation.
Cables need to be provided with
metallic shielding, covered by a
non-metallic outer layer. Cable
jOints are permitted, contrary to
zone O.

Zone 2. Car deck of ferry with IP55 equipment

ENVIRONMENTAL
CONDITION

MINIMAL LEVEL
PROTECTION

LOCATION

EXPLOSION DANGER

PERMITTED EQUIPMENT
SWITCH GEAR

MACHINES

OTHER
EQUIPMENT
MEASURING
EQUIPMENT

ZONE 2

I BOATSTORES ON YACHTS

IP 55

YES

DRY SPACES

IP 20

YES

CABINS

IP 20

CORRIDORS

IP 20

BATHROOMS

IP 34

ENGINE CONTROL ROOM

IP 23

YES

YES

I ABOVE 45 CM I 2

NO

IP 23

NAVIGATION BRIDGE

YES

Ir:" 01'1.11 "Of"\\/C

IP 23
IP 23
IP 44
MODERATE MECH.
DAMAGE

BATHROOMS

ENG RM BELOW
FLOORPLATES

5.

YES

I SAFE SOCKETS

IP44

IP 55

NO

YES

IP 67

NO

YES

2-ALSO GAS
DETECTION

3- DEPTH TO BE
SPECIFIED

IP Ratings

Protection classes are categorized

in the IP Rating, indicating the
protection against dust and water
and in the EX Rating, indicating
the protection against flammable
gases. Between the two there is a
considerable overlap.
The ratings are mainly standardized by IMO, IEC and NEC 500
(USA).
IMO is for worldwide maritime use,
IEC is the International Electrical
Committee, worldwide in use for
land and sea.
NEe, the National Electrical Committee, is the USA Standard, with
emphasis on gas, dust and fibres.
In the USA is mining an important
topic.
The type of protection depends on
the environmental conditions as
per table on this page.

Engine room with IP 44 and higher motors

IP RATINGS
FIRST DIGIT PROTECTION
AGAINST DUST

NO PROTECTION

IP 67 is dust tight and can be im-

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT

mersed in up to 1 metre of water.

It should be noted that equipment
with this IP rating is not suitable
to be used on open deck where
'green' water could be present. This
should be checked with drawings /
design.

SECOND DIGIT PROTECTION

AGAINST WATER

o NO PROTECTION

1 OBJECTS < 50mm

1 Vertical Dripping water

2 OBJECTS < 12mm

2 Angled dripping water 75-90 0

3 OBJECTS < 2.5mm

3 Sprayed water 45-90 0

4 OBJECTS < 1.0mm

4 Splashed water

5 Dust Protected

5 Water jets

6 Dust tight

6 Heavy seas

IP 68 equipment can be used infinitely immersed under a defined

water column . The certificate of approval must indicate the maximum
allowed water pressure.

7 Immersion under 1m water column

EXAMPLE: IP 68

8 Infinite immersion under "X"metre

Iwater column

I
"X"to be stated on certificate/nameplates

IP 23 is the rating of the most

cost-effective motor available, to
be used in dry spaces, without the
danger of gases or dust. There is a
minimal protection against dripping
water.
IP 44 is the next grade up. It ensures protection against splashed
water and dust particles larger than
1 mm.

Galley with IP 34 or higher equipment

IP SS Gives protection against a

water jet (firehose) limited gases
and dust.

IP 66 suitable for use on open

decks with splashed solid water,
heavy seas.

The table on this page gives an explanation of the digits in an IP rating.

AC sources on a sh ip are nor-

AC POWER

mally the generators and when

in po rt possibly the power delivered v ia t he shore connection.

Generators

ROTATIDN POWER

:: {A

/~
~~"
"

::;

~~n~
.

Alternating current and rotating current"

The stator consists of a large number of coils that are interconnected
in a fixed pattern and of which the
ends are terminated in connection
boxes.
The rotor will have magnetic poles
that when rotated inside the stator
will induce a voltage in the stator
coils.
When three sets of stator windings
are installed, with an offset of one
third, the result will be a threephase AC current.
The magnetic field of the rotor can
be produced in a number of ways:
- by induction (in a "brushless"
alternator)
- by permanent magnets (in very
small machines)
- by a rotor winding energized
with direct current through slip
rings and brushes.
Alternators on ships usually will be
of the brush less type.
The frequency that is produced

by an alternator depends on the

number of poles and the rotational
speed.
The speed corresponding to a particular frequency is called the synchronous speed for that frequency.
The frequency on ships normally is
50Hz or 60Hz and, to give an impreSSion, below are some combinations of the number of rotor poles
and the required speed to obtain
these frequencies from an alternator.
POLES

FREQUENCY

50hZ
RPM

60hZ
RPM

POLES

3600

3000

1800

1500

1200

1000

2
3

POLE PAIRS

900

750

720

600

10

600

500

12

72 . ..

36

100

A large generator stator during production. The separately manufactured windings are fitted into the
stator and connected together.

TINE

...,....

An electric generator is a device

that converts mechanical rotating
energy into electrical energy.
When a generator produces an alternating current it is called an alternator.
The two main components of an alternator are:
- the stator, which is the static
part
- the rotor which is the rotating
part inside the stator.

~~

----

Alternators for use on ships are

basically modified standard industrial types which are de-rated to
perform under the environmental
conditions as defined in the applicable Rules and Regulations and
lEC Standard relating to the environment on ships.

Characteristics of ships'
generators

Generators for ships have, in addition to the industrial generators, a

permanent magnet for self-exciting
when starting up.
They also have an adapted AVR
(Automatic Voltage Regulator) to
generate a sustained short-circuit
current of 350% of the nominal
current.
This short-circuit current is required
to allow the circuit breakers to trip
in a selective way.

The rotor for the same machine in a balancing machine.

The ability of ships' generators to

produce a short-circuit current high
enough for selectivity or discrimination is essential and above industrial (shore) standards.
Furthermore, they have to be able
to run in parallel, sharing the current load without the assistance
of automation devices. See IEC
600922-302 Equipment, Generators and Motors for further details.

Testing of generators

Generators have to be tested under various load conditions as per

Classification Requirements during
the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT)
at the manufacturer and later during commissioning on board of the
ship.
Some generator manufacturers
have the required load resistances
and reactances to be able to load a
generator with the nominal power
factor.
Water resistances are loads with
power factor 1 and are thus not
suitable for testing a generator at
80% current, where the nominal
kW rating of the diesel engine is
reached.
Water resistances are suitable to
test diesel engines up to 100 %
and test generators, load sharing
and step loads up to 80%.
A practicable and acceptable alternative is to run the generator at no
load with its own excitation.
After that a heat run with short-circUited stator and excitation by an
external source in such a way that
the current in the stator reaches its
nominal value.
During the no-load run the machine is warmed up mainly by the
iron losses and during the shortcircuit run, the copper losses.

To determine the moment that the

machine has reached its maximum
temperature and is stabilized, the
cooling air or water inlet and outlet
temperatures are measured while
running.
As soon as the difference between
inlet and outlet temperature is stable for half an hour, the machine
has reached the maximum value.
When temperature measuring devices are present, such as embedded PT100 sensors,

Short-circuit test run

By adding the two temperatures,

the total temperature rise of the
machine is estimated.
Winding temperatures are normally determined by measuring
the winding resistance at a known
temperature.
Afterwards, measuring the winding temperature after the machine
temperatures have been stabilized
to the maximum value.
The winding resistance can only
be measured when the machine is
stopped and switched off.

Load test of an electric generator

the temperature can be measured

whilst running.
The maximum permissible temperature rise for the different insulation materials differs for the resistance and temperature measuring
method.
The resistance method gives the
average temperature rise for the
total winding. The embedded temperature measuring devices are located at the hot spots.

GENERATOR TEST SHEET 1

R1 Cold resistan ce at 20 C 0,0150
NO LOAD TESTRUN
TIME

VOLT

FREQ.

CURRo

SPEED

COOLING

COOLING TEMP DIFF.

AIR OUT

AIR IN

Hz

Amp

RPM

8:30

450

60

1800

20

20

9:00

450

60

1800

23

21

9:30

450

60

1800

25

21

10: 00

450

60

1800

27

21

JO:30_, ~
11:00
450

60

1800

28

21

60

1800

28

21

R2 Winding resistance after no-load test 0,0160

T1 temperature rise no-load test

(~-lJ

15 K

External excitation

0,0043
Short-circuit TEST
TIME

VOLT

FREQ.

CURRo

SPEED

COOLING

COOLING TEMPDIFF.

AIR OUT

AIR IN

Hz

Amp

RPM

12:00

450

60

500

1800

28

21

12:30

450

60

500

1800

30

21

13:00

450

60

500

1800

32

21

11

13:30

450

60

500

1800

36

21

15

14:00

450

60

500

1800

38

21

17

14:30

450

60

500

1800

40

21

19

15:00

450

60

500

1800

41

21

20

15:30

450

60

500

1800

42

21

20

R3 Resistance after short-circuit test 0,0190

T2 temperature rise short-circuit test
Total temperature rise + T1 + T2

62 K

=15 + 62 =77 K

GENERATOR TEST SHEET 2

Meggertest 1000 V > 200 MQ

No load test run

High voltage test 2500 V during 1 minute

Meggertest 1000 V > 200 MQ

Functional test
No load
test

25 0/0
load

Voltage V

455

454

452

Current A

125

250

Power factor cos<l>

0,8

0,8

0,8

0,8

0,8

Power kW

78

156

234

311

341

Exciter voltage V

10

18

25

32

40

45

Exciter current A

Cooling air in C

21

21

21

21

21

22

Cooling air out C

29

32

35

38

41

42

LOAD TESTS

100%
load

110%
load

451

450

448

375

500

550

50% load 75% load

Overs peed test 120% 2160 RPM during 2 minutes

A modern ship's AC generator.

It usually consists of three
integrated generators seen
from left to right.

BRUSHLESS AC GENERATOR

L1

L2

L3
~

AUTOMATIC
VOLTAGE
REGULATOR

- . -.- . - . - . - . ~ . - . - . - . - . - . - . -

STATOR

~IG3
o

UGl UG2
o G
ROTOR

no
o

1. Bearing
2 . Permanent magnets on rotor
3. Coil on stator activated by
permanent magnet
4. Stator exciter winding
5. Rotor exciter winding
6. Rotating diodes
7. Rotor poles
8. Stator windings
9. Fan
lO.Heat exchanger water/air
11 .Slip rings, in case of an oldfashioned generator instead
of items 4, 5 and 6.

AC GENERATOR WITH SLIPRINGS

L1

L2

L3

AUTOMATIC
VOLTAGE

REGULATOR

. . _.

'-

' -

'

. _ . _ . _ . _ . _._ . _ . -.- ._. _.- _ . _.

._.-

STATOR

G3

Gl

.. _._._._.

.- .- .- _._._._._.-._.-._._._._._.-

ROTOR

II

A permanent magnet (2) rotating

in the PM winding (3) to generate
the AC start voltage as well as the
voltage to the voltage regulator for
the sustained short-circuit current.
The exciter (4) I a second generator
with the electromagnets in the stator energised by the voltage regulator.
The AC voltage in the exciter winding on the rotor (5) is rectified by
rotating diodes (6) and the DC
current energizes the pole electromagnets (7).
The final generator is the main stator (8) in which the rotor poles rotate . This is where three-phase rotating current is generated.
The automatic voltage regulator
controls the generator output voltage as a function of rotor speed
and output current.
For both electric motors and generators the allowable temperature
rise depends on the size of the machine as well as the insulation material and measuring method.

')

11

.Llovds
I{egrsfer

Certificate for
AC Generators or Motors

ROT0403864
Page 1 ofl

Office

LR Rotterdam
Date

Client

. Naniwa Pump MFG. Co. Ltd

Nishi-Ku Osaka, Japan

23 August 2004
Order number on ManufactureI'.

DSME5262
Work's order number

4.51631
Manufacturer

Intcilded for

Rotor bv at Eibergen

Hull 5262 Daewo 5ME

First date of Inspection

Final date of inspection

23 August-2004

23 August 2004

.
-------

This certificate is issu~>d to th.e above Olent to certify that the ac generator/motor, particulars of which are given below, has been Inspected at
the manufacturer's works. The construction, workmanship and materials are good, and the machine complies with the relevant requirements of
the LR's Rules and Regulations.
--.b-.. _ . _. . . ., . . .. .'"r.. -._... .._- ........ .... ........ ----- .

_. . ----r . -.. .

_ __

'W' ..

Particulars
Type
Auxiliary AC Generator
kVA (generator only)

181

Auxiliary AC Motor
Volts

Propulsion AC Generator
Number of phases

Propulsion AC Motor

440

3 delta,

Ampe.res

Herrl:

Power factor

Rev/min

182

60

0,82

1785

Type of enclosure

kW

110

Class of Insulation

IP55 tropicalized
Type number

Serial number

Date of temperature test

Machine acting as

5RN280M04A8

0408-133/134

10 August 2004

motor

Duration

Rev/min

Volts

185 min

1781

440

183

Hertz

Power factor

Field-volts

Field-amperes

60

0,83

Results Of Tests

DEGREES C {State whether resistance ("r") or thermometer ("t")

Test

Actual

Rise

Cooling Air

25,2

2,5

Stator Winding

84,4

56,7

Rotor Winding

Amperes

Generator Voltage Regulation

If Regulation not Inherent state serial number of,A. V.R
Test
Rev/Min

FuU load

No load

Volts

Slip Rings
Hot inl\ulalion resistance
(megaohmll)

High voltage test volts ac (or 1

>200

2000

Amperes
minutes

Overload test

160% 15sec 285A 440V 60Hz 944Nm

Identification Marks Ma.rk "n/ a" if not apj>licable

Identification number (including office contraction code)

Surveyor's initials

Date of inspection

RBO

23 August 2004

Remarks:
temptest on 0408-133

,e Lloyd's Register Group

Form 1059 (2003.07)

THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBJECT TO TH E TERMS AND CONDITIONS OVERLEM

II

Certificate No.:

DET NORSKE VERITAS

PRG 07-0945/4

CERTIFICATE FOR ELECTRIC GENERATOR

Works order No.

Manufacturer
SIEMENS ELECTRIC MACHINES, s.r.o.
CZ - 664 24 oRAsov 126

1198966/420000
Generator type
1FJ4804.105022
Serial No.
178019

Ordered by
SIEMENS AlS OSLO, Norway

Order No.
4501054348

Intended for
Aker Promar SA., Id. No .. 027459

Yard No.

THIS IS TO CERTIFY that the electrical Generator described below, has been built and tested In accordance with Del Norske Veritas' current
Rules for Classification of "Ships I High Speed, Light Craft and Naval Surface Craft" and Det Norske Veritas' "Offshore Standan:!"

I
I

The test Tesu~s can be seen from enclosed test report.

Generator
specifICation

Voltage (V)

6600

Power (kVA)

3220

Insulation class

HIF

Frequency (Hz)

60

Power factor

0.90

Degree of protection (lP)

44

Current (Amps)

282

Speed (r.p.m.)

720

Ambient temperature (0C)

45

Type of cooling

IC81W

Excitation Voltage

60.0

Excitation current

6.1 A

This column is only to be filled in when the Manufacturer or his

representative Is authorized by Det Norske Veritas to stamp the
generator.
The undersigned authorized person declares that the generator
is manufactured and tested in accon:!ance with the conditions given in
Manufacturing Survey Arrangement.
No.:

-- --- ----- --- ---. _. - - - -- -.- -_. ------ -- ------ -- ----- -.-

Quality System Certificate

Marking:

-- -----

--- _.. .. ------ -- - -- -- --- --- --- ---- ------

Marking:

For identification the generator was stamped

(Fill inn as applicable):

... . . J~]/j:J~.~.cn.~. ~~.~'-~. ()~. ~.~.~.h.~~.~C1c::~

By DNV surveyor

ThiS product certificate is only valid when Sign~~ut:yor:

--~

Place:

..

9.~T~~.vA . . . .

For the identification the generator was stamped:

. ..

?.. _. ~
I

--- ---- --- ---- ---- --- -_. ----_.- -------- -------- ---

by authorised person
Surveyor
Place:

----- ------ . __ .. -- --- -- ---- -- --- -- - --- - -- - -- --- ---

Date:

............................... _...............................................................

Name:

... ... .

MA . pjo"N1El861t :. . .
I
I

---- ---- --- --.. --- .--(Name; ------ --- --- --- ------

Remarks:
The Inspection of the generator was carried out in accordance with the DNV Rules Pt. 4, Ch. 8 Sec. 5, Jan. 2005.

If Iny person 'offers loss or dillmagelM1lch is proved 10 haye been caU$! by any negligent act or omls.slan of Oel Norske V.mas, !hen Del NotV:e Verttas $haJl pay compensa1lon to SUCh penon tor hlS r:ro'led direct [~o r
HO"MfIer. the compensation sI'IllI not exceed an amoum equalla ten Umes the fee charg.cl for Iho $8Mc.e In qoeaJon. proyJdod \hI1 thomamllJ'l oompemation lShali nfl....r exceed USD 2 mllUon .
III Ihls provision "OM No~e Verttu shall mean tnc Foundation Del NorSke Vfltitas 81 well as all lis SlI~I.rieS. diredors, aft'ice~. emptoytos., liQenls and any O1her acting on behalf 01 oat Norske vomls.

~mage.

--

DET NORSKE VERITAS, VERITASVEIEN 1, NO-1322 HlINIK. NORWAY, TELlNT: +47 67 5799 00. TELEFAX: +47 67579911
Form No.: 79.4Oa
Issue: June 2004

Page 1 of 1

A shore connection is a circuit

with protection devices, a connection box, and flexible cables
to enable the ship to obtain electrical power from shore.

Larger inland waterways vessels

(IWW) in Europe, like tankers, use
230/400V-63A shore power connections also supplied via standard
CEE-form plug and socket outlet
combinations.

Shore connections for most ships

are used only when auxiliary generators are not available or otherwise cannot be used, for instance
when the ship is under repair, in
dry-dock, or laid-up and no staff is
onboard to control the auxiliaries.
Most cargo ships, are equipped with
a shore connection facility of 300 to
500 kW. This power will normally
be available at larger shipyards.
The electrical system on the majority of the cargo ships is 400V / 50Hz
or 450V / 60Hz, without neutral.
Most larger shipyards have frequency converters to supply the
correct frequency to a ship. When
more shore power is required, or
shore power with a voltage and/
or frequency that is not available
at the shipyard, temporary diesel
generator sets are used.

In a growing number of ports, especially ports where cruise ships

are frequent viSitors, in connection
with the growing concern about the
environment (nOise, smoke), generating electricity on board is not
allowed, and it is mandatory to use
shore electric power. This is also
known as "cold ironing".
There are no international standards yet for these large shore power systems, but developments are
underway.
The first major large power high
voltage shore power facility was in
the port of Juneau in Alaska.
There in 2001 a terminal for cruise
ships was equipped with a high
voltage shore power system and a
shore steam connecction.

The connection between ship and

shore is made with heavy duty
flexible cables of sufficient size and
quantity. Most of the time a ship is
provided with a shore connection
box that is located close to where
the shore cables come on board.
The shore connection box is connected to the main switchboard
with fixed cabling.

Since then a number of ports in

the US have followed with arrangements such as those in Seattle and
Los Angeles.

For smaller shore power supplies

the connection of the shore cables to the shore connection box is
made with a plug and socket combination. For large shore power
supplies the shore cables are bolted
to the phase bus bars in the shore
connection box.

The European Commission has

started feasability studies into the
possibilties of large scale introduction of large power high voltage
connections in major ports such as
Rotterdam, Holland.

When shore cables are bolted to

bus bars, the shore connection box
is also provided with a phase sequence indicator, a phase sequence
relay and phase change facilities.
This is to check the correct phase
sequence of the incoming shore
supply before this is connected to
the ship's system.
Small yachts in marinas in Europe
can use 230V single-phase shore
supplies of up to 16A. These are
supplied through standard CEEform plug and socket outlet combinations.

Shore connection plug and socket

125 Amp.

lI..,~ ,\ ,jJ
'.
l

'

..

'~

In Europe some ports have excecuted small scale projects for large
power high voltage shore power
connections such as for example
the city of Gothenburg in Sweden.

High voltage shore connection cables

The term "cold ironing" stems

from the age of coal fired iron
clad steam engines. When a ship
with such engines wou ld tie up
at port there was no need to
continue to feed the fire and the
engines would cool down eventually going completely cold,
hence the term "cold ironing".

SHORE CONNECTIONS
SHIP TYPE
SMALL YACHT
INLAND WW SHIP

SHIP'S SYSTEM

SHORE SUPPLY

BERTH

STANDARD PLUG

12V DC

230V 16A

50Hz

YACHTING
MARINA'S

CEE BLUE 230V 16A

230/ 400V

2 x 230/ 400 V 63A

50Hz

IWW HARBOURS

. CEE RED 63A

Shore connections for a mega-yacht and for small

yachts. The cable for the mega-yacht is stored on a
reel.

l!iJ

It:::J

Shore connections for small yachts in a marina.

The electrical shore connection is located in a box

with sequence indicators, voltage indicators and a
sequence change-over switch.

Emergency power in general

comes from batteries or when
the load is large, from an emergency diesel generator.
For very large peak loads, gas
turbines are used.
Emergency power is required
to supply electrical emergency
consumers when the normal'
power supply fails.
Emergency consumers include
those required for alerting passengers and crew, emergency
lighting to enable safe escape
from the ship and those services
for reducing risk such as closing
fire doors and watertight doors
and providing power for emergency fire pumps.

Emergency consumers.

The following consumers are supplied by the emergency switchboard:

- Navigation equipment
- Navigation lighting
- Communication
- Steering gear
- Power and control systems for
electrically operated watertight
doors as well as their indication
on the bridge
- Power and control systems to
operate electric fire doors as
well as their indication on the
bridge
- Emergency lighting
- Fire detection systems
- Fire alarms
- Fire fighting systems, fire
pumps and release alarms for
CO 2 systems
- General and fire alarms
- Public address systems for passenger and cargo ships used for
general and fire alarms
- Emergency fire pump
- Emergency bilge pump
- Internal communication systems
- Initial starting equipment if
electrical.

Automatic and manual watertight door number 23

1. Visual and audible door operation alarm
2. Exit sign with internal battery
3. Hand hydraUlic operation handle
4. Emergency escape breathing
device
5. Hand emergency opening / closing handle.

Automatic fire door

Additionally on passenger ships:

- Sprinkler system
- Low location lighting
- External communication equipment.
- Transitional lighting fed from a
UPS system
Back-up battery of the external
communication equipment

Low level lighting

In batteries elecrical energy

can be stored through a chemical process. By reversing this
process, the energy can be retrieved as DC power. Emergency
batteries can supply electrical
energy, for a defined demand
during a defined period, when
the normal source, a generator,
fails. When the total demand is
too high, an emergency generator has to be installed.

Emergency batteries

Batteries are of two basic types,

the lead acid battery and alkaline.
The alkaline battery is more expensive but lasts longer and can
be charged with more current and
more often than the conventional
lead acid battery.
Battery capacity is defined in ampere hours (Ah) and indicates the
multiplication of discharge amperes
by maximum discharge time.
There are starting batteries capable of delivering a high current for
a short time.
Emergency lighting batteries, on
the other hand, need to be capable of delivering a low current for
a long time, depending on the type
(18 to 36 hours) of service.
The capacity required is determined
by a load balance.

Transitional battery on passenger ship

Man-overboard-boat station with preparation lights, flood lights

Emergency generator

An automatic starting emergency

generator with its own fuel tank,
double starting system and emergency switchboard is required and
has to supply power for essential
(emergency) services in case the
main power fails.
The fuel tank must have capacity
to supply the emergency generator
with fuel, for running at full load,
a set number of hours . For cargo
ships this is 18 hours, for passenger ships 36 hours and special service craft 12 hours. Special service
craft are for instance workships,
often with many people on board.
The emergency services comprise
the transitional lighting, emergency
lighting, navigation lights, internal
and external communication, fire
detection including alarms, emergency firepump, emergency bilgepump, the sprinkler pump, ultrafog
if applicable, steering gear, watertight doors.

Emergency steering position for twin rudders with two handwheels.

Displays above for course, rudder indicators. Further telephones and a
talk back system

An emergency generator is required to run in one space with all

its necessary equipment.
This space also contains the emergency switchboard and eventually
the emergency lighting transformer and the emergency lighting
switchboard.
The generator eqUipment must
consist of:
- double means of starting: two
sets of batteries with each a

charger, one set of batteries

with an alternative like a spring
starter or an hydraulic starter.
a dedicated fuel tank with capacity as earlier mentioned,
an independent cooling system
air supply fans
exhaust dampers.

All this together in an all around

A60 insulated space above the
main deck, with an access door
from the open deck.

An emergency generator normally

is also used for 'the first starting
arrangement' which is getting the
ship's engine room alive again in
case all generators (and of course
the main engine) are stopped, and
air vessels and batteries empty.
This first starting arrangement can
also be a small handstart air compressor capable of filling an air vessel to start an auxiliary diesel.
Some emergency generators have
the possibility to be used as a harbour generator.
If selected for harbour duty the
engine protection system on high
cooling water trip and lubrication
oil trip shall be active.
In emergency duty these shall not
be active and the overspeed trip
shall be the only protection .
with
Emergency
switchboards
remote controls from the main
switchboard must have these controls made such that failure of the
mainswitchboard or the cables between the emergency switchboard
and the main switchboard shall not
effect the functioning of the emergency generator.
This means that all electrical connections from the emergency
switchboard outside the emergency
generator room must be isolated in
an emergency.
Emergency generators shall be
tested regularly.
Emergency generators shall be capable to be run at 100 % engine
rating for the time specified with all
doors closed as well as for 110% of
engine rating for 15 minutes.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Air-cooled generator
Engine control panel
Air supply system
Exhaust system
Engine driven fan
Emergency diesel
Radiator

Emergency switchboard with emergency lighting transformer and emergency lighting switchboard

8. Fuel tank with level indicator

and alarms
9. Emergency switchboard
10. Emergency lighting transformer
11. Emergency lighting switchboard
12.Battery chargers
13.Start batteries
14. Start battery change-over box

The basic function of switchboards and other switchgear

assemblies is to connect and
disconnect generators and consumers to the main power supply system .
Another important function is
the protection of the generators,
cables and consumers against
overload and short-circuits.
Legislation in most countries
(Labour Law) gives strict rules
regarding powering down a part
of an installation safely, making
repairs and powering up safely
afterwards.
It also defines the skills and responsibilities of the operator and
J
maintenance people.

1.
2.
3.
4.

Switchboards and other

switchgear assemblies.

Low-voltage switchgear and control

gear assemblies (Type-tested Assemblies (TTA) and Partially Typetested Assemblies (PTTA) with a
rated voltage which does not exceed 1000 V AC at frequencies not
exceeding 1000 Hz, or 1500 V DC
are to be built in accordance with
industrial standard lEC 60439-1.
For use on ships the switchgear and
control gear assemblies have to be
adapted to the marine environment
as detailed in the requirements of
lEC 60092-302 Low-voltage switchgear and control gear Assemblies
for Ships and the requirements for
type-approved equipment as detailed in chapter 9 of this book .
Some of the additional marine requirements are:
Provisions for higher temperatures,
humidity, vibration and the ship's
movements.
Large switchboards require counter
foundations to avoid stresses from
the movement of the ship .
Protection class lP23 when the
doors of the switchgear are closed
and lP20 when these are open.

Main bus-bar
OutgOing group sections
Generator panel
Bus-section panel

Switchboard under construction!

A minimum distance between phase

to phase and phase to earth of:
- 14mm for a 500V earthed system
- 19mm for a 500V non-earthed
system
Handrails to be provided on the
front and back of switchboards .
Door catchers to be provided to
hold doors in the open position .
It should be noted that the Rules
and Regulations provide minimum
requirements to equipment and
that the Owner may have additional requirements as laid down in the
contract.
Using the outcome of the shortcircuit calculations (see chapter
07) the design of the switchboard
bus bars can be made. Especially
with large switchboards which are
part of large power plants with
high short-circuit values this design
must be carefully made as the mechanical stress from a short-circuit
can be substantial. Large switchboards, when the primary structure
with the main bus bars is completed, are sometimes tested under
real short-circuit conditions in a
specialized laboratory which is able
to generate the required currents.

Only the last emergency mode of

closing by pressing the mechanical
controls at the circuit breaker front,
is allowed to be unprotected.
The mechanical controls on the
circuit breaker should be provided
with a locked cover to avoid accidental operation
Furthermore synchronizing equipment has to include a double voltmetre and a double frequency
metre indicating voltage and frequency for both bus-bar and incoming machine.
The instruments may also be replaced by a multifunction instrument per generator which enables
the read-out of voltages between
the phases and between the phases
and the neutral if applicable, phase
currents, power, reactive power,
frequency, etc.
Having the correct voltage and frequency still does not mean that the
bus-bar and incoming machine are
synchronous. This means that they
have the same voltage, the same
phase rotation and the same angle.
The functional test for a simple assembly can be described on a single sheet of paper.
For more complex assemblies or
where a programmable logic controller is involved, the input information to the programmer, i.e.,
the functional specification of the
program, is to be used to test the
functionality.
Also failure modes of the program
have to be determined. Watchdog
failure alarms must be incorporated
into every essential system.
The photo shows a high-voltage
switchboard for a diesel electric
work ship.
This switchboard is transported
to the vessel in parts and prior to
, commissioning, the reassembled
switchboard is high voltage tested
on board.
Switchboards and major control
gear assemblies must be tested
by the manufacturer, and must at
' least comprise:
- A high voltage test normally
2500V for one minute between
all phases
- between all phases and earth
and between neutral and earth,
with starpoint disconnected

Switchboard lay-outs

The lay-out of a switchboard should

be as logical as possible to aid the
operators with their work.
The location of signal lights, pushbuttons and control
switches
should be such that their operation
is easy and when operated do not
block instruments.
The internal lay-out should be
equally logical and allow repair and
servicing.
Instrument scales should preferably be with non-glare glass and
provided with red or green marks
on the scale to indicate limits or
normal values.
Nameplates and the lettering on
them should have a size appropriate to the viewing distance.
The large nameplates above a
switchboard panel, indicating its
function, can be as big as 30xl0cm
with 6cm letters. A nameplate at a
pushbutton can be 5x2cm with 3 or
4 mm lettering as the viewing distance will be short.
Using coloured nameplates, such
as red with white lettering, will help
to identify critical functions.
In some complicated switchboards
it may help to provide the front
with simple black lines and symbols to help with understanding.

A visual inspection to verify that the

equipment is in accordance with
the agreed drawings and standards
- insulation distances, marking of
components, nameplates, etc. and
last but not least, a functional test.
A Meggertest or insulation resistance test with a 1000V megger,
which for new equipment should
have a value of 100 M-Ohm.

High voltage
switchboards

For installations with a voltage

above 1000 volts, IEC standard
62271 High voltage switchgear and
control gear must be used.

Switchboard foundations have

to be aligned and flat to avoid
stresses and/or misalignment in
the board. Circuit breakers are
fitted on rails for Withdrawal, and
when not properly aligned, withdrawal can be diffioult.
1. Red phase to phase connection
2. Black phase to earth connection

Switchboards come in all sorts of

shapes and sizes driven by the requirements and the preferences
and experience of the designers.
On this page there are two examples of switchboard designs.
On the left is an internal view with
heavy bus bar arrangement.
Below is the front of a straight-forward Main Switchboard as installed
on a RoRo car ferry.
On this picture one can see from
left to right the following main features of this switchboard:
- two consumer panels
- bow thruster panel with indication section for non-essential
consumers first panels .
- shaft generator panel
- auxiliary generator 1 panel
- bus tie panel with common synchronization section
- auxiliary generator 2 panels
The right side of this switchboard
is the mirror image of this left part.

Example checklist for low voltage switchboards

NOTES

1
CHECKLIST LV SWITCHBOARDS < 1000 VOLT
PROJECT

PROJECT NUMBER
CLIENT

3
4
5

CLIENT'S ORDERNUMBER
DATE

FIRST VISIT

DATE

LAST VISIT
DESIGN APPRAISAL DOCUMENT (DAD)
OUTSTANDINGS

REF
YES

NO

OK

NOT
OK

DATE

LIST OF TESTS
LIST OF TESTS

NOT
APPL.

NOTE

LAY-OUT AS PER DRAWINGS

DIMENSIONS AS PER DRAWINGS
PROTECTION CLASS IP23

SAFE WITH NORMAL DOORS OPEN IP20

OTHER DOORS LOCKED

MEGGER AND HIGH VOLTAGE TESTS

MEGGERTEST

HIGH VOLTAGE TEST

MEGGERTEST AGAIN
RECONNECT ELECTRONICS

9
10

COMPONENTS TYPE APPROVED

WIRING TYPE APPROVED
SEPARATION BETWEEN PANELS

WIRING CROSS SECTION

Bus-bar SYSTEM TYPE APPROVED

Bus-bar DIVISION

Bus-bar DIMENSIONS

Bus-bar SUPPORTS

10

CONNECTIONS LOCKED

11

COMPONENTS FLAME RETARDANT/LOW SMOKE

11
12
13
14

CREEPAGE AND CLEARANCE DISTANCE

TERMINAL CODES

12

WIRING CODES
Bus-bar CODES

13

EQUIPMENT CODES

14

15
16
17

NAMEPLATES
DOOR CATCHERS
WIRING TO DOORS

18

EARTHING DOORS
HANDRAILS
SEPARATION WIRING

15

INSTRUMENTATION

16

19

INSTRUMENT SCALES
NOMINAL MARKS

20

COLOUR CODING INDICATOR LIGHTS

LABELS
CIRCUIT BREAKER TEST CERTIFICATES

17

CIRCUIT BREAKER SETTING LABELS

18

21

FUNCTIONAL TESTS
SHORE CONNECTION INTERLOCK
PARALLEL INTERLOCK

22

MANUAL SYNCHRONISING
AUTOMATIC SYNCHRONISING
LOAD SHARING

23

AUTOSTART/ AUTOCLOSE
EMERGENCY STOP
VOLTAGE AND FREQUENCY ALARMS

19

EARTH FAULT ALARMS

20

REVERSE POWER TRIP

21

24
25

POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OPERATION

26

NON ESSENTIAL TRIP

BLACK OUT START

30

MECHANICAL TESTS

27

DOORS/LOCKS

22

WITHDRAWABLE CIRCUIT BREAKERS

23

WITHDRAWABLE STARTERS

24

WITHDRAWABLE SUPPLY CIRCUITS

25

28
29

MECHANICAL ALIGNMENT

26

30

Bus-bar STRESS

27

FOUNDATION

28

SEAFASTENING

29

TESTS ON BOARD

Switchboards in engine rooms shall be at

least IP 23
Panels which can be opened without tools, at
least IP 20
Doorlocks shall be of a suitable type
Preferably with a 1000V Megger
S earthed versus Rand T, Rand T earthed
versus S, Sand N earthed versus Rand T, R
and T earthed versus Sand N
Testvoltage 200V for 400V 50Hz and 2500 V
for 450V 60Hz
Generator panels to be separated from each
other and from outgoing group panels by a
suitable partition
Cross section wiring as per rules for applicable temperature class single cores. Too many
full loaded powercores in a wiring duct to be
avoided.
Bus-bars of high voltage systems and high
powered low voltage systems shall be divided
Bus-bar loads at 45 C about 2 A/mm2
Bus-bar supports for peak fault level as per
makers instructions
Springwashers, locknuts in main bus-bar,
temperature rise to be considered
Terminals shall be clearly marked
Bus-bars shall be arranged systematically and
marked
Equipment to be clearly coded, referring to
drawings
Intrinsically safe wiring to be separated
Instrumentation as per lEC requirements,
nominal values to be clearly marked
Circuit breakers to be tested at manufacturers and certified
Circuit breaker settings to be indicated on
permanent labels
Fuse ratings shall be indicated on permanent
labels
Voltage and frequency alarms as per IEC
standard
Earthfault alarms when an insulated system
is used
Reverse power trip for machines capable
to run in parallel. Differential protection for
machines> 1500kW, initialising circuit breaker
trip.
Doors to non safe compartments shall have
keys or require tools
Test interchangeability, retest when the
switchboard is fixed on board
Test interchangeability, retest when the
switchboard is fixed on board
Test interchangeability, retest when the
switchboard is fixed on board
Measure alignment, check for any deformation
Bus-bars shall not be exposed to mechanical
stress
Check foundation alignment
Check seafastenings, no mechanical load to
switchboard
After a black-out a generator shall automatically start and restore power at the mainswitchboard. Essential propulsion auxiliaries
shall sequentially restart automatic

Certificate No.:

DETNORSKE VERITAS

ROT-085234.1

CERTIFICATE FOR
SWITCHGEAR ASSEMBLY

@~w

Type of assembly (MainICmergency SWltchboan:l. Motor Control Centre. eto.)

Id.No

Main SWItchboard MSB-1

D27932

Manufacturer
I

GTISUEZ

1-=-'

Certification ordered by

Purchase order No.

IHe Krlmpen Shipyard B.V

-1

90193.1

Intended for

Yard

IHe Krlmpen Shipyard B.V.

IHe Krlmpen Shipyard B. V.

THIS IS TO CERTIFY that the switchgear assembly described below, has been buIlt and tested in accordance with Det Norske ~eritas' current
I
Rules for Classification of Shlps", "Mobile Offshore Units and "High Speed. light Craft and Naval Surface Craft.

SWItchgear
specification

Voltage M
~
Current (A)

Power(i<W)

35

Distribution system
Phase
3

2.5
2.5

Insulation test:

<200

Short eire. level. (leA)

2099

High voltage test:

High voltage test:

Frequency (Hz)

. 128~

60 .
Degree of protection (IP)

42
Ambient temperature (0C)

4
kVolts for
kVoltsfor

t8I

Wire

minutes
minutes

1
1

t8I

Insulated

Earthed

50

Remarks

MOhm("Megger te8f)

Function test: (specify)

~ccOrdlng FAT procedure 9!5.022.3#26

I
;

Marking
For identification thell$Sembly was stamped:
NV ROT 0852341
This product certifrcate Is only valid when signed and stamped by DNV surveyor
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DETNoRSKE VERITAS. VERITASVEJEN 1, N0-1322 H0VlK. NORWAY, TEL INT: +4767579900, TELEFAX: +47 67 57 9911
Form No.: 70.409
Issue: November 2006

Page 1 of 1

The process of synchronization, parallel operation and

load-sharing of identical machines as well as of mach ines
different in rating both in droop
and in isochronous mode is explained in this chapter.
The machine which is to be synchronized and coupled to the
mai n bus-bar is called an incoming machine.

Parallel running

Alternating current and rotating

current generator sets, intended to
run in parallel, share their loads,
the diesel-engine power in kW and
the generator current in ampere.
When generators do not share load,
when increasing the total load, that
load can be increased until one engine runs at maximum power while
the others have not yet reached
that power.
The power of the engines which are
not running at maximum load cannot be used.
Similarly, with generators, when
increasing the total load and one
generator has reached the maximum current while the others have
not, the current capacity of the
non-maximum loaded generators
cannot be used.

A governor is a control unit on

a diesel engine that adjusts the
fu el and thereby the speed, or
when runn ing in parallel, the
load on the eng in e.
The working is based on "droop".
Speed droop is sim ilar to voltage droop. The same name is
used for both phenomena.

Governors

The load control of prime movers is

carried out by the governors. This
is a control device which controls
the amount of fuel to a diesel engine to keep the speed of that diesel at a desired RPM, or in accordance with a desired speed curve.
A governor can also control the
steam input to a turbine to keep
the speed of that turbine constant
or according to a desired curve.
Prime movers such as diesel engines or steam turbines which have
to share load, must have identical
curves.
The reduction in speed (droop) related to the increase in load has to
be the same percentage over the
total load range of both machines.
Size of the machine is not important as long as the percentage is
identical.

Engine
Governor
WOODWARD
UG8, controlling the position of the
fuel rack, which controls the quantity of fuel to the cylinders.
This is a governor for conventional
engines with a conventional fuel injection system.
The small box is an electronic governor for modern common-rail injection diesel engines.

Automatic voltage
regulator

An automatic voltage regu lator

(AVR) is a control unit that controls
the generator voltage. Droop is
the name for a voltage regulating
system that controls the voltage of
a generator in such a way that it
decreases approximately 2 to 4 %
from no-load to full-load.
It keeps the voltage steady by adjusting the excitation voltage in
accordance with a droop curve depending on the current.

Automatic voltage regulator

Droop is the name for a speed

regulating system of the engine
governor, which controls the fue l
to the eng ine in such a way that
the speed of the engine decreases 2 to 4 per cent from no-load
to full-load.

Or:
Droop is the ratio of the quotient of the change in frequency
and the nominal frequency to the
quotient of the change in power
and t he nominal power af a rotating machine.

The AVR can be connected to the

exciter of the brush less generators
or to the slip rings of an old-fashioned generator.
For parallel operation of identical
machines the droop must be the
same in volts from no-load to fullload current.
For parallel operating machines of
different ratings the droop must be
the same percentage.
In this way the different machines
share current by each taking a proportion of the rated current of each
machine.

Examples voltage
and current droop of
identical machines

A conventional fuel system of a diesel engine consists of a low pressure fuel pump feeding high pressure (piston) fuel pumps activated
and timed by the cams of the camshaft. The fuel goes from the high
pressure pumps through the high
pressure fuel line via de injectors
into the cylinders.
The amount of fuel is controlled by
the radial position of the piston of
the high pressure fuel pump.
In the early common-rail diesel
engines, the fuel is brought under
constant high pressure in an accumulator.
The fuel is released into the cylinder via the injectors through solenoid valves which are operated by
an electronic control unit.
The electronic unit handles the
moment of opening and how long
each valve is open.
This increases the efficiency of the
engines and reduces exhaust emission.
Common-rail engines make use of
very high pressure pumps and electronically piezo-electric valves.
The electronic control unit can also
inject a small amount of fuel just
before the main injection, such as a
pilot injection, reducing explosiveness and vibration.
The speed setting is sent to the
electronic control unit by a voltage
signal from the switchboard or by
a voltage signal from the synchronizer load sharing unit.
If the speed droop is not the same
in the machines, they will not share
load over the total load range but
only a certain total load.

Examples test sheets of

identical machines

The performance of each generator set has to be checked, which

means that the reaction of the diesel engine to a change in load has
to be tested as well as the change
in voltage due to a change in load.
Each generator set should be tested
individually and if the individual figures are alike, sets in parallel, also .
When the voltage droop of the generators, from no-load to full-load,
is adjusted and found identical, the
speed droop of the diesel engine is

POWER

POWER

VOLTAGE

CURRENT

FREQ.

SPEED

kW

Hz

RPM

455

60.00

50

60

454

125

59.80

70

125

452

250

59,50

100

185

452

375

59,30

75

250

450

500

59,00

50

185

451

275

20

125

452

250

59,30
59,50

60

454

125

59,80

455

60,00

1800
1785
1770

1800

Diesel test sheet 2. Diesel generator set individual

OIESEL GENERATOR 1

TOTAL

DIESEL GENERATOR 2

RATING

POWER

CURRENT

FREQ

POWER

CURRENT

Kw

Hz

Kw

Hz

60,00

60,00
59,80

FREQ

25

60

120

59,80

60

130

50

125

250

59,50

125

260

59,50

75

185

370

59,30

185

380

59,30

100

250

500

59 ,00

250

500

59,00

75

185

370

59,30

185

380

59,30

50

125

250

59,50

125

260

59,50

25

60

120

59,80

60

130

59,80

60,00

60,00

Diesel test sheet 2 Diesel generator sets parallel

verified and adjusted as necessary.
Hereafter, both sets can be synchronized and run in parallel mode.
The load sharing is adjusted so
that both generators share the load

50/50 at one load setting, usually

maximum load.
The sets should now share load
from zero to 100% without any further adjustment.

Synchronising and
generator panels

Picture left top:

1.. Voltmetre bus-bar

The pictures show examples of

a synchronising and a generator
panel of a main switchboard which
are used to safely connect an unconnected generator to a live busbar.

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2.
3.
4.
5.

Voltmetre incoming machine

Synchronoscope with LED's
Frequency metre bus-bar
Frequency metre incoming machine
6 . Circuit breaker open push-button
7.. Circuit breaker close push-button
8 . Selector switch incoming machine

Picture left bottom:

1\;\11

Hz \ ,,\
..~'

!1

;~.
C"

;-;

~{

1. Amperemetre R-phase
2. Amperemetre S-phase
3 . Amperemetre T-phase
4 . Voltmetre
5.. Phase selector switch voltmetre
6 . kW metre
7.. Frequency metre
8 . Indication lights
9 . Circuit breaker on / off
10 . Function selector switch
l1 . Standby light
12 . Standstill heating switch

A pointer synchronoscope uses a

small electric slip-ring motor with
the stator connected to the bus bar
and the rotor connected to the incoming generator.
A pOinter is mounted on the rotor to
visualise the speed difference between the engines connected to the
bus bar and the incoming engine .
When the phase of the incoming
generator is ahead of the bus bar
phase, the engine runs too fast and
vice versa .
The speed of the incoming engine is
increased or decreased by the governor control switch on the switchboard .
When the incoming machine is in
phase with the bus bar the pOinter
on the synchronoscope will be on
the 12 o'clock position . When the
pointer is dead slow approaching
the 12 o'clock position the generator circuit breaker can be closed.
Normally the closing command is
given at the 5 to 12 position to allow for some switching delays .
See the next paragraph for a diagram and principle of the pOinter
synchronoscope

Synchronising panel

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til

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Principle of manual
synch ronisation

Modern synchronoscopes are fully

electronic and use red and green
LED's for indication.

To make two engines run in parallel

the speed of the incoming no-load
engine must be adjusted until its
speed is slightly more than the onload engine(s), synchronized and
switched to parallel.
Connecting two engines in parallel without synchronising will cause
extreme mechanical stress, especially with larger units, which can
damage these beyond repair.
When connected, the fuel setting of
the in-coming engine is increased
to share the load . The fuel setting
of the on-load engine will be reduced in connection with the reduction in load .
Without further adjustments the
engines will now share load from
zero to maximum load .

Generator panel (incoming machine)

To determine that the phase of the

incoming engine is identical to the
phase of the bus bar a synchronoscope is used of which there are
various types .

Generator panel with manual and

automatic synchronising

Principle of pointer synchronoscope

Rotor position versus stator field

When diesel generators run in parallel, there can be no

speed difference.
LOAD

The generators act as a rigid gearbox between the diesels. The rotor inside the stator behaves similarly to a
flexible coupling and moves a few degrees clockwise
or anti-clockwise in the stator field, depending on the
load.
.

SHARE LOAD

NO LOAD

REVERSE LOAD

SHARE LOAD

NO LOAD

LI, Le, L3, RED, YELLOW, BLUE

ALSO POSSIBLE I YELLOW, GREEN, VIOLET

Load sharing means that the

current and power are equally
divided over identical machines
or proportionally divided over
machines of different rating.
Load sharing is obtained when
each machine supplies the
same kW power, that is, each
machine's fuel supply is such
that the slip of each machine is
equal. At no-load the slip is zero
and the rotor rotates synchronous in the stator.
When the generator absorbs
load, the rotor runs behind the
stator field. When the generator supplies load, the rotor field
runs forward of the stator field.
When the machines share load
both rotors run forward of the
stator fields, all at the same
rpm.

10

Principle of automatic
synchronisation

Manual synchronisation, as described before, is most of the time

only used as a back-up for a fully
automatic synchronisation system.
Fully automatic systems are based
on the same principles as for manual synchronising. Incoming signals
like voltage, frequency and current
are processed and the result fed to
a governor on the engine and eventually to the circuit breaker to be
dosed or opened.

BUS8AR

GENERATOR
BREMER
(GB)

,,,

Example of application with integrated generator control unit

(DEIF)
Automatic systems can be made
from individual electronic components such as check synchronisers,
voltage en current units and reverse power relays but these functions are more often combined in
one unit as in the example below.
More sophisticated systems are
computer based with monitors for
the graphic display of the operational status with dynamic parametres.

11

r-

,,,

:,

:,
:,
,
:

oIR

------

,,

,,
:,

:-_01_-______ 1
,,

,,
,

GENERATOR I

GENERATOR 2

SHORE CONNECTION
OR
SHAFT GENERATOR

These systems more often are used

in Power Management Systems for
complicated electrical networks
such as on Dynamic Positioning
vessels.
There they will also control the
starting and stopping of a stand-by
diesel on power demand and the allocation of power to large consumers.

Example of
application
with integrated generator
control unit
(OEIF)

Another method of parallel operation is isochronous, which

means constant speed over the
total load range and no droop.
Voltage current and power of
each machine is measured and
compared with the capabilities of
the sets. Fuel to the diesel en gines is controlled resulting in
the desired load sharing. Zero
droop.

Principle isochronous parallel operation

LOAD ANGLE

NA]N
SII] TCHBOARD

~
.~L~D

LOAD

CD~tt~UN [CAT [ON

SIGNAL

LOAD ANGLE

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<!

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w
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W
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p:j

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Load haring
without
1
speed, droop.
Measure kW per machine l compare and
'. load by conequalize
trolling fuel to make
load angle between
rotor 'and stator identical.

Synchronizing and switching parallel equally rated machines

"0
0
0::

'"
LJ

UNLOADED
MACHINE (B)

"co

,J

'"w

DECREASE
RPt-! (B)

RPM

/1

LOADED
t-!ACHINE (A)

50:!

50:!

LqAD (A)

LgAD (B)

I~I

I~

FUEL

GOVERNOR
(DIESEl)

kll-----3>-

kll-----3>-

UNLOADED
MACHINE (A)

REDUCE FUEL (A)

LOAD (A) REDUCES
LOAD (B) INCREASES

I~

LOADED
MACHINE, B)

(B)

kW -----3>-

k\ol---+

lL
0
0

'"
'LJ"
'"<r

eoo

t~>t
100'
kl!

( ])

(AVR
GEN) ~

tj ~

LOAD

A ----..

GEN (A)

GEN

(B)

G
MACHINES
SHARE EQUAL
LOAD

G
LOAD

GEN (A)

GEN

LOAD

(B)

(A) AND (])

EQUALLY
LOADED

(A)
AND (B)
PARALLEL

(A> LOADED
(]) OFF

LOAD IS
TRANSFERRED
FORt-! (A) TO (B)

(A) AND (B)

PARALLEL
( A) UNLOADED

GEN (A)

(B)
(A)

GEN

(B)

LOADED
OFF

Synchronizing and switching parallel differently rated machines

~

o
o

0::

UNLOADED
NACHINE (])

'"
'"
LJ
W
lL

JJ~;?ffiJt
k\l

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ACTUAL
LOAD (A)

DECREASE
RPtl (B)

ACTUAL
LOAD (A)

UNLOADED
MACHINE (A)

ACTUAL
LOAD (])

//

'"-cl--

LOADED
t-IACHINE (A)

INCREAS
FUEL (B)
AND (B) HAV
SAME SPEED
SYNCHRON I SE (B)
CUOSE CI RCU ITBREAK~R

INCREASE
FUEL (B)

(A)

GOVERNOR
(DI ESEl)

ACTUAL
LOAD (Bl

kll-----3>-

kll-----3>-

(B)

kll-----3>-

kW-----3>-

LOADED
MACHINE (])

PEN CIRCUIT BREA!R

(II) AFTER LOAD
Io1ACHINE (A) IS ZE 0

k\l-----3>-

kli---+

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100 .
kli

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AVR
( GEN)

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LOAD

GEN

(II)

(A) LOADED
(]) OFF

GEN

(B)

SHARE PROPORTIONAL
LOAD

G
LOAD

GEN (A)

(A)
AND
PARALLEL

LOAD IS
TRANSFERRED
FORt1 (A) TO (B)

(B)

GEN

LOAD

(B)

(A) AND (])

PROPDRTIDNALL Y
LOADED

(A) AND (S)

PARALLEL
( II)
UNLOADED

GEN (A)

(B)
(A)

LOADED
OFF

GEN

(B)

Equally rated machine!;

1. Check of speed, voltage and droop of both (or more) machines. This is
done during commissioning at newbuilding and after extensive repair
or replacement of any of the parts such as governor or AVR. Once set
the settings shall not be changed.
2. Machine (A) is on-line and has all load. Machine (B) is off-line, unloaded and runs at a slightly higher speed.
3. Decrease speed of machine (B) by governor control knob, till the speed
is the same as machine (A) . As the machines are not running in parallel, the speed of each motor can be adjusted. As soon as the machines
run in parallel, changing of individual speeds is not possible anymore.
Synchronize the fases of (B) with (A) and close circuit breaker of (B) .
4. Machine (A) and (B) run now in parallel. Machine (A) loaded and machine (B) unloaded. Increase fuel to machine (B) with same knob,
resulting in machine (B) taking load. Increase the fuel supply until load is evenly distributed between the machines. From that moment on, any load will be equally shared by the two machines from
zero till 100% of the total capacity of the two machines. This is the
normal situation for two parallel running equally rated machines .
5. When the total required load or the sailing condition permits, it is possible to go back to one running generator. Reduce fuel to machine
(A) until the load is nearly zero and machine (B) takes all the load .
Open circuit breaker (A), taking generator (A) from the net.
6. Machine (B) is on-line and loaded. Machine (A) is off-line and remains
running at about the same speed.

Different rated machines.

In the example machine (A) has 50% capacity of machine (B)
1. Check of speed and voltage droop. This is done during commissioning and after extensive repair or replacement of any of the parts
such as governor, AVR. Once set the settings shall not be changed .
2. Machine (A) is on-line and on load. Machine (B) is off-line, unloaded and runs at a slightly higher speed. Circuit breaker (B) is open.
3. Decrease speed of machine (B) by governor control switch. As the
machines are not running in parallel the speed of each motor can
be adjusted. As soon as machines run in parallel, changing of individual speeds is not possible anymore. Synchronize the fases of (B)
to those of (A) and close circuit breaker (B). Machine (A) and (B) run
now in parallel with (A) loaded and (B) unloaded.
4. Increase fuel to machine (B) with same knob and machine (B) takes
load . Increase fuel until load is distributed over the machines in proportion of available power. Any load will be proportionally shared
by the two machines from zero till 100% . This is the normal situation for two parallel running but differently rated machines.
5. When the load or the sailing condition permits it is possible to go back
to one running generator. Reduce fuel to machine (A) until the load
is nearly zero and machine (B) takes all the load. Open circuit break~r (A).
6 . Machine (B) is on-line and loaded. Machine (A) is off-line and runs at a
slightly higher speed.

12 Selection of droop or
isochronous
If there is a large difference in rating of the prime movers with similar
generators, the large machine may
have an unacceptable performance
at full load.
The main engines of for instance
ferries, apart from driving the propellers, are also provided with a
shaft (PTO) generator. Generators
of about 4 MVA are driven by 3.2
MW auxiliary diesels but also by the
10 MW main engine power takeoffs.
A droop of 2% for the auxiliaryengine driven generator over its
full range would lead to a droop of
about 6% for the main engine.
At 94% speed the propellers do not
consume the maximum available
power and this is not acceptable.
To overcome this problem, load
sharing is not arranged by droop
but through a control system that
measures load on the generators
and adjusts the fuel of the auxiliary
engines to share the load.
The main engines are master in this
case and provide the power at constant speed for the propellers.
Parallel operation with a kW sharing
control system is called isochronous
operation.
To obtain parallel operation of different machines, these machines
have to be synchronized, switched
in parallel and the load has to be
shared.
When machines have the same
characteristics, as verified in 4 and
5 respectively, after manual load
sharing and synchronizing for a certain load, the load sharing will be
correct for the total load range of
the machines.
Machines of different ratings can
also share load as long as the voltage droop and speed droop is the
same percentage.
The choice of 2-4 % droop depends
also on the accuracy of the control
equipment.

Electric motors convert electrical energy into mechanical

(rotating) energy and with that
have the reverse function of gen erators.

When additional cooling capacity is

required an extra cooling fan can
be installed on the main electric
motor. When such a motor is also
totally enclosed these motors are
also referred to as TEFC for Totally
Enclosed, FanCooled [motors].

Electric motors
1.1

Electric motors come in all shapes

and sizes and suitable for a wide
range of power supplies. As with
generators the applied frequency
and the number of poles in the stator determine the speed of the motor.
The major categories are related to
an AC or DC power supply but then
the choice is endless from the very
small step-motors used in robotic
applications to very large motors in
the MW range.
Nowadays the most widely used
electric motors are the 3-phase
alternating current asynchronous
motors with a squirrel cage rotor.
An overview of this type of motor,
in the range from approximately
0.3kW to 160kW, for various voltages, frequencies and speeds is
shown on the next page.
This chapter will concentrate on
this type of AC-motors. When using variable speed drives AC-motors can be precisely controlled for
starting, speed and torque.
Electric motors are available in
different housings for foundation
or flange fitting. See the table on
page 106 for details.
They are also available with different protection classes against the
ingress of solid particles and water
(lP-ciass) and for use in an explosive environment (Ex-class).
Ex-motors are available with the
following classes:
- increased safety Ex-e
- flameproof Ex-d
- pressurized EX-p.
Electric motors are available in
lEC standard machines, suitable
for 45C cooling air or 32 C cooling water temperature.
When the temperatures for cooling
air or water are different from the
standard values correction factors
must be used for which the applicable Rules & Regulations must be
consulted.

Testing AC-motors

All AC-motors have to be tested

and when the power rating is above
100kW they have to be certified by
the classification society.
The basic AC-motor test consists
of:
- Meggertest,
- High voltage test
- Meggertest again
The second meggertest is to verify
if the isolation values are still intact
after the high voltage test.
The following tests and measurements are to be documented at
nominal voltage and frequency:
- start current
no-load current
- full-load current
- consumed power
- supplied power
- efficiency
- power factor
- start torque
- nominal torque
- speed range
housing temperature
- winding resistance cold
- winding resistance hot after the
full-load test.
- heat run to determine the maximum winding temperature underconbnuous load
The maximum permissible winding
temperature depends on the type
of winding insulation used,
the temperature of the cooling air
or the temperature of the cooling
water. As an example the table
on page 105 gives an overview of
limits to temperature rise for aircooled rotating machines.
The maximum temperature rise is
determined in a heat run.
The heat run is a test where the motor is loaded with nominal load until
the temperature of the housing stabilizes. Before the start of the test,
the temperature of the motor and
resistance of the windings at this
temperature is measured.

A motor test stand at a motor manufacturer showing the motor under

test and the water brake (dynamo
metre).
TIME

AIRIN C

AIROUT o C

DIFF oC

8:00
8:30
9:00
9:30
10:00
10:30
11 :00
11 :30

18
18
19
20
21
21
22
23

18
20
22
25
30
36
43
44

0
2
3
5
9
15
21
21

When the housing temperature

stabilizes the resistance of the
winding is measured again. From
the two values obtained, the temperature rise can be calculated
The equipment necessary for a
heat run is called a dynamometer,
a brake which converts power produced by the electric motor into
heat. This brake is also free moving
so that tDrque can also be measured.
For large motors the heat run, with
a mechanical load, can be replaced
by using two frequency converters
to supply the motor.
One frequency converter supplies
the motor with the rated voltage
and frequency and the other with
a lower than nominal voltage and
frequency.
With the mDtor running at no-load
speed on the first frequency converter the variable voltage is increased so that the total current of
the two power sources is equal to
the rated current of the motor.
The advantage is that the power
consumed comes from the losses
that produce the heat. The rest of
this test is the same as for the heat
run as described above.

2-pole

4-pole

6-pole

8-pole

3 x 380 V

3x440V

3 x 380 V

3x440V

3 x 380 V

3x440V

3 x 380 V

50 Hz

60 Hz

50 Hz

60 Hz

50 Hz

60 Hz

50 Hz

3x440V
60 Hz

Frame size

kW

rpm

kW

rpm

kW

rpm

kW

rpm

kW

rpm

kW

rpm

kW

rpm

63 K

0.28

2800

0.30

3420

0.18

1360

0.2

1685

71 K

0.37

2780

0.44

3400

0.25

1385

0.3

1690

0 .18

920

0.21

1125

71 G

0.55

2920

0.65

3400

0.37

1370

0.4

1685

0.25

890

0.30

1120

80 K

0.75

2285

0.90

3340

0.55

1400

0.7

1710

0.37

915

0.44

1125

rpm

kW
-

0.18

690

0.21

845

80 G

1.1

2835

1.3

3440

0.75

1400

0.9

1710

0.55

915

0.65

1120

0.25

695

0.30

845

90S

1.5

2850

1.8

3470

1.1

1410

1.3

1720

0.75

935

0.90

1140

0.37

700

0.44

850

90 L

2.2

2850

2.6

3460

1.5

1400

1.8

1710

1.1

935

1.3

1135

0.55

695

0.65

850

100 L

3.0

2850

3.6

3470

2.2

1420

2.6

1720

1.5

945

1.8

1145

0.75

705

0.90

855

112M

4 .0

2900

4.8

3500

4 .0

1435

4.8

1735

2.2

950

2.6

1150

1.5

705

1.8

850

1325

5.5

2860

6.6

3430

5.5

1440

6.6

1730

3.0

950

3.6

1140

2.2

705

2.6

855

132 M

7.5

2880

9.0

3460

7.5

1440

9 .0

1730

4.0

950

4.8

1150

3.0

700

3.6

840

160 M

11.0

2900

13.0

3480

11.0

1440

13 .0

1730

7.5

960

9.0

1155

4.0

710

4.8

850

160 L

18.5

2920

22.0

3510

15.0

1455

18.0

1750

11.0

965

13.0

1160

7.5

720

865

180 M

22.0

2935

26.0

3540

18.5

1455

22.0

1750

180 L

22.0

1470

26.0

1765

15.0

965

18.0

1160

11.0

720

13.0

865

200 L

30.0

2935

36.0

3540

30.0

1465

36.0

1760

18.5

965

21.0

1165

15.0

725

18.0

870

2255

37.0

1470

44 .0

1765

18 .5

725

22.0

880

225 M

45.0

2940

54.0

3530

45.0

1470

54 .0

1765

30.0

973

34.0

1170

22.0

730

26.0

875

250 M

55.0

2955

66.0

3545

55.0

1475

66.0

1770

37.0

973

42.0

1170

30.0

730

36.0

875

2805

75.0

2965

90 .0

3555

75.0

1480

90.0

1775

45.0

980

54.0

1180

37.0

735

44.0

880

280 M

90.0

2970

105.0

3565

90.0

1480

105 .0

1775

55.0

980

66.0

1180

45.0

735

54.0

885

3155

110.0

2975

132.0

3565

110.0

1480

132 .0

1775

75.0

985

90.0

1185

55.0

740

66.0

890

315 M

132.0

2975

158.0

3570

132.0

1480

158.0

1775

90.0

995

108.0

1185

75 .0

740

90.0

890

Code of standardized frames for the various types of standardized electric motors.

Squirrel cage motor

1. Shaft with bearing

2. Squirrel cage rotor
3. Stator Windings

4. Cooling fan
5. Connection box
6. Protection cover

15. Motors and starting devices

Windings of electrical machines can be insulated

with different materials. The properties of the insulating material determines the maximum allowed temperature. Insulating materials are divided in classes.
When a higher insulation class is selected this will alIowa higher temperature when in operation.

The higher temperature allows a higher current,

which is the source of the heat, and with that a higher
power rating of the motor. This also applies to other
electrical equipment such as generators and transformers.

LIMITS OF TEMPERATURE RISE AIR COOLED ROTATING MACHINES

A

a.c. windings of machines

having output of 5000
kVA or more

ETD

55

75

95

115

(b) Windings a.c. windings of machines

of armatures having output of less than
having
5000 kVA
commutators

ETD

55

80

100

115

50

65

70

95

115

50

65

70

95

115

80

100

125

50

65

70

95

115

R, T

50

65

70

90

115

R, T

55

70

80

100

125

50

65

70

90

115

(a)
1.

2.

3.

4.

INSULATION CLASS

METHOD OF TEMP
MEASUREMENT

PART OF MACHINE

Field windings of a.c. and d .c. machines

having d.c. excitation other than those
in item 4
(a)
Field windings of synchronous machines
with cylindrical rotors having d.c.
excitation
(b)

(c)

(d)

Stationary field windings

of d.c. machines having
more than one layer
Low resistance field
windings of a.c. and
d.c. machines and
compensating windings
of d.c. machines having
more than one layer
Single-layer windings of
a.c . and d.c. machines
with exposed bare
or varnished metal
surfaces and single-layer
compensating windings of
d.c. machines

5.

Permanently short-circuited insulated

windings

6.

Permanently short-circuited uninsulated

windings

7.

Magnetic cores and other parts not in

contact with windings

8.

MagnetiC cores and other parts in

contact with windings

50

65

70

90

110

9.

Commutators and slip-rings open and

enclosed

50

60

70

80

90

The temperature rise of these parts shall in no

case reach such a value that there is a risk to
any insulation or other materials on adjacent
parts or to the item itself

NOTES
1

Where water cooled heat exchangers are used in the machine cooling circuit the temperature rises are to be
measured with respect to the temperature of the cooling water at the inlet to the heat exchanger and the
temperature rises given shall be increased by lOOC provided the inlet water temperature does not exceed 32C

= thermometre method
R = resistance method

ETD = embedded temperature detector

Temperature rise measurements are to use the resistance method whenever practicable .

The ETD method may only be used when the ETD's are located between coil sides in the slot.
-

.IM 2001 (1M 835)

1M 3001 (1M 85)

{~

AC

LC
L
W

LD

i~
~ .~

----,

Il.

----..I

'J

EA

~ " ~.

.,;~- .~

~k-,

Shaft dimensions
Frame size Shaft heigh
Shaft
diam, Mm
mm

63 K

63
71

Flange mounted machines

Feet mounted machines

Position fixing holes
Amm

Bmm

C mm

12.5

100

100

40

5,8

115

95

10

16

112

112

130

110

10

3.5

Mmm

Nmm

Number
fi xing holes

Max, T
mm

Fixing holes
Kmm

Smm

71 G

71

16

112

160

45
45

71

130

110

10

3.5

80 K

80

21.5

125

125

50

10

165

130

12

80 G
90S
90 L
100 L

80
90
90
100

21.5
27
27

125
140
140

180
100

50
56

165
165

130
130

4
4

12

3.5
3,5

31

160

125
140

12

165
215

130
180

4
4

112M

112

31

190

140

56
63
70

10
10
10
12

215

180

12
12
14.5
14,5

71 K

3,5
3.5
4
4

1325

132

41

216

140

89

12

265

230

14,5

132 M

132

41

216

178

89

12

265

230

14,5

160 M

160

45

254

210

108

14.5

300

250

160

45

254

254

108

300

250

180 M

180

51.5

279

241

51.5

279

250

4
4

18 ,5
18 ,5

200 L

200
225

59
64

279
318

300
300

180

121
121

250

180 L

14.5
14,5
14,5

18.5
18 ,5

160 L

305
286

133
149

18.5

350

300

18,5

400

350

225

64

311

149

400

18 .5
18.5

250
280

69
79.5

168
190

500
500

8
8

18.5
18,5

280 M

280

79.5

457

349
368
419

350
450
450

250 M
2805

356
406
457

18.5
18,5

5
5

500

450

18,5

2255
225 M

356

190

24
24
24

5
5

5
5
5
5

3155

315

85

508

406

216

28

600

550

24

315 M

315

85

508

457

216

28

600

550

24

Sizes of shaft, feet or flanges of standard electric motor, in relation to code.

Electric motors are produced in accordance with international standard dimensions.

A starting device connects a

piece of equipment, like a motor, to its main power supply.

2.

Starting devices

A starting device is the general

term for a piece of equipment with
one or more contactors that allows
the connection of a consumer to its
main power supply.
Starting devices can also be used
to limit the inrush current of a consumer to an acceptable value when
connected to the main power supply. An acceptable value is one that
does not disturb the proper functioning of the prime source of power like a generator as this would
also disturb other eqUipment in the
installation.

order to stay under the ma ximum

allowed voltage drop of 20% during
starting of a large consumer.
The voltage drop is a result of the
capabilities of the generator as the
load on the driving diesel engine
during starting is determined by
the power factor, usually less than
0.4 during starting.
A diesel engine should be capable
of handling a load step of 20% or
more without a frequency dip of
more than 10%, which should be
recovered within 15 seconds.
The minimum requirement for step
loads on diesel engine generators is
33% . However, modern commonrail and constant pressure electronic injected diesel engines have
some difficulty handling such step
loads.

Ll
L2
L3

-Itt

01.

51

U1IU21U3

Example direct on-line starter

Some examples of starting devices

are:
1. direct on-line starters
2. star-delta starters
3. autotransformer starters
4 . frequency converters
5. high voltage choke starters
Each of these examples is discussed below.

Direct on-line starter

The simplest way of starting an AC

motor is the direct on- line starter.
With this device the starting time
is minimal, the starting torque is
maximal at full voltage but the voltage drop, also at other consumers,
is ma ximal.

Example of an engine room without local starter boxes. Starters for these
pumps are installed in MCCs (see below)

Values for voltage drop levels can

be calculated when the starting
data of consumers is known as well
as capability data of generators.
In general, a generator is able to
supply a sudden overload of 50 %
of its kVA-rating, resulting in a voltage drop at the generator terminals
of less than 15% .
This allows another 5% voltage
drop in the distribution network, in

Trip
contact

_~

~:hK1

Limiting the starting current will

also limit the starting torque of an
electric motor. This may be necessary to protect for instance a
delicate gearbox from the harmful
forces of direct on-line starting.

2.1

F1

Example of a Motor Control Centre (MCC) where all starters for the engine
room are installed. The panel on the far left is for the connection of the
incoming main power.

K1

CX'l H1

2.2

Star/delta starters

Star-delta starting is a mu ch used

method as it is cost effective, uses
proven technologies and is widely
available.
An example of a star-delta starter is
given below.

0)

0F1/1

~~3l

L3

--9

.n....r F3

o
OJ--9

---- - - 9 K3

voltage by 1. 7
starting current by 1. 7
starting torque by 1/3
the load on the engine by 1/3

0F2

~I~~

Star-delta starters reduce primary

values as follows:

For large motors, which requi re

large contactors (K1,K2 and K3) ,
these contactors can be supplied
from the primary voltage instead of
from the voltage transformer.
The main contactors as shown will
then be replaced by auxiliary contactors.

K2

0
S1

t-+-K1

I
I-+-

\ K3

S2

K1

TIME SEQUENCE

I
I I K11 JSM'2I
:::

1110
M

K2

I I I
...L _ _ _ _ J ~ I

K1

-!:.+-----:.-:._J
----

K2

K3

DELTA

STAR

H1

LINE

Example of star-delta starter

1.
2.
3.
4.

Incoming voltage
Electric motor
Contactor K3
Contactor K2

5.
6.
7.
8.

0)

~~

II.

Contactor K1
Start button
Stop button
Control fuses

9. Time relay
10.Transformer

F1/1

II .

F1/2
TIME SEQUENCE

F3

0 0
K2 J J J - - 9 K1

S1

I.

K3
S'2

11' t2'i3~S1

K3

Cu-bar

l-F.
,
1 I I ::: : ;~
'-A~4 - ;~~
.;f. C-~
C~4- : : :, :
0 ._._!___J_.__

ullvllWll I I I
I

U2 1V21w21

I III

I...L ~A2
I I iA1

I I'
Il r_ _

F4

u31v31w3'

B2
rB1

C2
rC1

iI
01
'I

I I

I
I

L. _ _

AUTO TRANSFORMER (AT)

Example of Auto transformer starter

I
I

,j l I I

____ ~--.,.'--'
L.I __ ....
..,. -,
__I
II

1_______

11

t1

(--1"K4

\K1

K1

K2

E--\

K4

K1

K2

K3

STAR AT STARTING

RUNNING

..J

2.3

Auto-transformer
starters

Auto-transformer
starters
are
based on the reduced voltage starting method whereby the starting
current is reduced in proportion
to the starting voltage. The start
torque, however, is reduced proportional to the voltage square.
This means that this starting method can only be used for low torque
(no load) starting .
But when designed well the motor rating connected to this type of
starter can be considerable, sometimes in the MW range.
An example of low torque, high
power starting is a starter for a
bow thruster where the propeller
blades are put in zero position before starting.
Autotransformer starters are normally provided with a number of
secpndary voltage tappings. This
allows a change of starting voltage,
and with that of starting torque,
during commissioning a system.
The values of these secondary voltage tappings are normally in the
range of 55 -70 % of nominal voltage. Lower values would increase
the starting time, higher values
would increase the starting cur-

An example of a high voltage choke starter

rents. Both effects are undesirable.

. ~ :',

On the previous page an example

of an electrical diagram for an autotransformer starter is given.

2.4

Frequency converters

Frequency converters and other

electronic control devices can control current, power and torque of an
electric motor.
They limit the starting conditions on
the generators, arrange the maximum performance of the consumer.

2.5

High voltage choke

starter

As for low voltage, for high voltage

starters the direct-on- line (DOL)
type is the most cost effective.
But starting direct on-line could
cause too much peak-load on the
generators or driven equipment.
In that case the current can be limited by inserting a choke in the supply line to the motor.

Starter box and remote control of turning gear, and starter box of
pre-lubricating pump
This choke, when designed properly, will reduce the starting current.
As the torque will also be proportionally reduced, the effects of in-

serting a choke must be carefully

evaluated to avoid stalling of a motor during start-up.

:"'i

~ ~

~
-......:;.',

Converting equipment converts input electrical power from

high to low voltage whereby the
current changes inversely in
proportion. A converter does not
generate electrical power.
1

General

The simplest converter is a transformer, transforming or converting

one voltage into another voltage,
for instance 440 V into 110 V.
Transformers have losses, as heat
is produced during this conversion.
The efficiency is usually between
90 and 98 percent, depending on
size, a reason to avoid transformers in power distribution systems.
The European 400V/230V 3-phase
4-wire distribution system does not
require transformers, contrary to
the American 450V60Hz sytems
which have a phase to neutral voltage of 260 V. For the latter systems no equipment is standardized, being the reason that in the
USA where 110 V/60 Hz or 230 V
/60 Hz is used (onshore) for small
consumers, transformers are necessary for lighting and low power
circuits.
The multiplication of input voltage
and current and output voltage and
current is approximately equal.
More complex converters can also
change voltage from AC to DC and
can also change the frequency.
Small converters are used to adapt
the power voltage to another system, such as a 400V signal into a
10V or 20mA signal.

Transformer

A transformer consists of two windings around a metal core.

The primary windings magnetize
the core, which induces a voltage and current in the secondary
winding. Any voltage ratio can be
obtained, but is dependent on the
winding ratio of the primary and
secondary windings.
With separated primary and secondary windings there is also a
galvanic separation between the
primary and secondary circuits.
In that case an earth fault detection system must be installed on
the secondary side. Every isolated
system is required to have this as
per Class requirements.

Double stock 1600 kVA transformer, for supply of a frequency converter,

during high voltage testing. The rear side of this transformer can be seen
below. Secondary windings produce voltage in star and delta configuration. The red cables are the connections of the primary windings.
The secondary windings still have to be connected.
The pictures on this page show a
large double stock transformer to
supply a frequency converter. One
set of secondary windings supplies
690V in star and the other 690V
in delta to the AC/DC rectifiers in
12-pulse frequency converter. The
aim of this set-up is to reduce harmonic distortions from the frequency converter to pass to the primary
side.
Short-circuit currents for transformers are determined by the
short-circuit voltages of the transformer, defined as:
'the voltage applied at the primary
side of the transformer with the
secondary side short-circuited resulting in the full-load current primary'. The maximum secondary
short-circuit current at the secondary sicie is then determined by:
I k(sec) =

Unom
Uk X Inom(sec)

Three single-phase transformers in

one housing makes a cost effective
three-phase transformer. By addi ng
a fourth single-phase transformer in the same housing as spare,
creates redundancy as this fourth
transformer can be used to replace
a faulty transformer quickly by just
reconnecting wires.

Auto-transformers, i.e. transformers with a single winding, are only

acceptable for start circuits and not
for distribution systems. The reason for this is that a failure of the
starpoint connection would result in
full primary voltage on the low voltage circuits.
Especially large transformers may
have a high inrush current due to
the build-up of the magnetic field in
the steel cores. To avoid this inrush
current, which may trip the circuit
breaker in the supply, a small premagnetising current is applied for a
couple of seconds.

DC/ AC converters

On small ships such as yachts,

where the power supply is only
obtained from batteries (a DC system), the choice of electrical equipment is restricted.

-=.

It is difficult to find TV sets, audio

equipment, microwaves, refrigerators, deepfreezes, fluorescent
lighting, etc. suitable for a DC power supply. If available at all, they
are expensive.
For that reason DC/ AC converters
are used.

Fnl

:~

The most common converters are:

Incoming supply : 12V, 24V and
48VDC
- OutgOing supply: 120V and
230V (50 and 60Hz)
- Capacity: up to 6 kW

DC/DC converters

DC/DC converters are used for the

same reason DC/AC converters are
used.
For example, on small ships with
12V DC incoming and only 24V DC
consumers available, a DC/DC converter can solve the problem .

Air cooled AC/AC converter closed, and with open doors

1. Control panel
2 . Main switches
3. Active front end inverters mak-

Rotary converters

A rotary converter consists of an

electric motor driven by the ship's
power, mechanically connected to a
generator. The generator is designed and constructed to produce
the required voltage and frequency.

~-

:j

'I~.:!rl~!
.~~
1
II

h ':\

::'111 '

...,,,, J!I.

"r'. ~
3' :!

I~
! ~.~.

. '~ '! O! I

:,',d'
-,:;." j'... _.--

Rotary converter

===~,~

' Ii...."
,/'

~iI. '.

..

i ,
,

.<>

2
"".)

' ~1$

'l!1\

.I~

ing DC from AC and reverse

4. Inverters making AC out of DC
and reverse.

_4
4

-6

AC/ AC converters

The diagram below shows two double purpose converters .

One converter produces the necessary current to the stern thruster
supplied by the ship's sw itchboard
when the ship is manoeuvring .

e
e
e

...

The other converter supplies the

bow thruster during manoeuvring.

The arrows in the sch eme show

both purposes .

When the ship is moored, the same

converter produces current to the
ship's switchboard, fed by the shore
supply.

The reason for this dual purpose

function choice is the high cost of
converters and the space required.

GENERA TOR PS
300kW

CO NT ACTORS WITH
INTERLOCKS

ACTIVE FRONT END INVERTER

(JWO DIRECTIONAL)

STEP-UP
TRANSFORMER

DC/AC INVERTER

CIRCUIT BREAKER

THRUSTER OPERATION
WITH MANOEUVRI NG

STARPOINT TRANSFORMER

,.,-0
~

GENERATOR CL
300kW

. -----vy

SHORE POWER OPERATION

WHEN MOORED

SHORE CONNECTION
3X380V-480V-50/60Hz300kW

IrstFrg]
e

~ . - . - . - . - . - . - . -.-.~

BOW
THRUSTER
300kW IS1

1
1

e~
1

,,_

-::>--

....

BUS BAR
DISCONNECTOR

SHORE CONNECTION
3X380V-480V-50/60Hz300kW

1' - ' - ' - ' - ' - . - . -. _ . - '1

!~N

~ . - . - . - . - . -.- . - . - . -

STERN
THRUSTER
500kW I S1

1
1

e~
1

-::>--

GENERATOR SB
300kW

....

...

"'"

,.,-0
~

Of all converters the types that

convert a primary AC input into a
controlled AC output, the AC/AC
converters, are the largest group.
These converters are widely used
as starting and control systems for
AC motors.
AC/AC converters control input currents from the net and can provide
a controlled output of speed and
torque to motors. They can also
change the direction of rotation of
an AC motor.
Using AC/AC converters can make
an installation more cost effective
as pumps or fans can be fine tuned
to the process to which these are
connected.
For example the flow of a cooling
water pump can be set to the actual temperature requirement of the
system where such a pump would
normally be running at full speed
with a three-way valve controlling
the cooling water temperature.
In the same way the speed of ventilators or the motors of chiller units
for an air-conditioning system can
be controlled by an AC/AC converter.
The result will be that in the end
less electrical energy will be consumed and that there will be less
switching on and off of consumers.
AC/AC converters are also used to
control a wide range of large AC
motor applications such as:
- propulsion motors
- thruster motors
- dredging pump motors
- etc
AC/AC converters are available
with voltage and current ratings to
match the majority of 3-phase ACmotors.
Low voltage AC/AC converters, up
to 690V on ships, are available for
motors rated 0.2 kW up to several
megawatts (MW).
Medium voltage AC/AC converters
are designed to operate at 3.3kV
and up to 10 kV for use with motors rated 350kW and above.
AC/AC converters with higher ratings should be considered to be
one-of-a-kind designs.

Large water cooled AC/AC converter

AC/AC converters, in their simplest
form, consist of the following main
components:
- a supply transformer and rectifier converting AC into DC voltage
- a converter converting DC to AC
with stepless controlled voltage
and frequency
A rectifier is not able to transfer
reverse power to the power generation system. Thus when a motor is driven by the load, like can
happen with for instance a winch or
when lowering the load in a crane,
the power generated cannot be dispersed. To overcome this braking
resistors are added in the DC circuit which will convert the reverse
power to heat.
When an AC/AC converter has controlled rectifiers it is called an Active Front End (AFE) drive.
The advantage of an AFE drive is
that the controlled rectifiers and filter inductors in the supply lines can
make the AC current nearly sinusoidal, doing away with harmonic
distortions.
An additional advantage of an AFE
drive is the ability to feed back the
energy from the DC side to the AC
grid, doing away with the braking
resistors mentioned earlier, should
these be required.

In order to obtain a wider input

range, step-up transformers can be
installed.
An example is the diagram on
the previous page where step-up
transformers are indicated. The
step-up transformers transform the
voltage from 320V (equal to 400V
-20%) to 400V, creating an output
of 400V-50Hz from an input range
of 320 to 480V 50-60Hz.

AC/ AC converters mostly consist

of the following parts:
Transformers to adapt input
or output voltage
Rectifiers to change AC to DC
Inverters to correct fixed input voltage and frequency
into desired voltage and frequency
Active inverters the same as
above but working in both dire~tions as required
Inverters to convert DC voltage into fixed AC voltage and
frequency in both directions
Large AC/AC converters are in
general water cooled

The same converter as on the previous page but now without doors
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Fast fuse
DC/AC converter
Ventilator
Cooling water outlet piping
Water cooled rectifier
Support isolators
Fuses
Connections to transformers
Transformers

10. Foundation
11.0utgoing connection
12.0utgoing phase cable
13.Cooling water pipe
14. Fuses
lS.Braking chopper
16. Expansion vessel
17.Actuator
18.Cooling water regulating valve

19 .
20.
21.
22 .
23 .
24 .
2S .

Pressure indicator
Cdoling water piping
Electric motor
Heat exchanger
Cdoling water pump
Cooling water inlet
Cooling water outlet

Xd"
7

Harmonic distortion

Harmonic distortion of the main

power supply is a phenomenon
caused by switching, particularly
of high speed power switches as
can be found in Variable Frequency
Drives.
This high speed switching causes
harmonics currents which are usu
ally the multiples of the supply fun
damental frequency, produced by
'non-linear' loads such as the AC to
DC power conversion circuits in the
Variable Frequency Drives.
For example, on a 50Hz supply, the
5th harmonic is 250 Hz, 7th har
monic is 350 Hz, etc. These are
called 'integer harmonics' - i.e .
exact multiples of the supply fre
quency.
The average value of all the har
monics is the Total Harmonic
Distortion or THD.
With the increased use of large var
iable frequency drives the danger
of the effect of high THD levels has
increased too.
Classification societies use a value
for the THD of 5% or less for use
on ships.
The main effects and dangers of
high THD levels are:
- reduction of efficiency of power
generation
- aging of the installation due to
excessive heat
- malfunctioning and failure of
electronic equipment
- overheating and failure of elec
tric motors
- resonance due to interaction of
capacitors with harmonics
- overloading and overheating of
distribution transformers and
neutral conductors
- excessive measurement errors
in metreing equipment
- uncontrolled operation of fuses,
circuit breakers and other pro
tective equipment
- electromagnetic
interference
with TV, radio, communication &
telephone systems
By good design and installation
practices THD problems can be pre
vented.
As the biggest source of THD val
ues will be large variable frequency
drives selecting the right type in
relation to the network can be a
big advantage. The rating of the
generators supplying the system
and their reactance Xd" are a factor
with the calculation of the THD.

6-Puls

Ik"

12-Puls

16% 6xln

18,7

10,6

10% 10xln

13,4

6,99

Losses
drive

2-2.5%

2.5-3%

: ~

~I
~

J MHZ

11 G ,/ " , "

.1

Total Harmonic
distortion

~~ ,., .1Id ,'. ,''' ......... .

6. puis

1000kW 1000kW
The following basic types of vari
able frequency drive systems are
available which are shown in the
diagram on this page:
1. one-way rectifier, 6-pulse
2. two double .one-way rectifiers,
12-pulse with primary one dou
ble stock transformer
3. two double one-way rectifiers,
12-pulse with primary one dou
ble stock transformer with 15
degrees phase shift creating
semi 24-pulse system.
4. four one-way rectifiers, 12-pulse
with two primary double stock
transformers creating 24-pulse
system.
5. Active Front End Converter.
The diagram shows the effect of the
different types of variable frequen
cy drives on the THD. The values
used to make the calculations are

1000kW

10001<'tV

in the diagram.

The results show that an AFE drive

would have the lowest THD levels.

1. One-way rectifiers (Amber)

The 3-phase AC from the switch
board main bus-bars is rectified by
6 diodes into 6 currents DC which
are brought together resulting in
a pulsating DC. See diagram. This
DC is the sum of the three phases,
where the negative part of each si
nus is made positive. This forms a
DC current with 6 pulses per origi
nal cycle, and no possibility of feed
ing back to the switchboard. This
DC is transformed into 3-phase AC
again through inverters with ad
justable voltage and frequency.
2. One-way rectifiers (Yellow)
Between the bus -bar and the rec
tifiers, behind the main switches,

Active frontend

24-Puls
5,33

<::

3,77

<:: 2%

2.5-3%

Xd"

Xd"

625

3%

3.5-4.5%

;~"

t ,",,", ....,r-lI""
I

. " . '..iu.lI " .

IK"

THD"

AC

~
~

1000kW

1000kW

1000kW

transformers of the double stock

type are installed. A double stock
type transformer has two secunda
ry windings, one in star and one in
delta, so producing 6 sinus curves
each. The output of one transform
er is brought out of phase as much
as 30 degrees. The voltage is not
necessarily changed. The thus pro
duced 12 currents are rectified sim
ilarly to the situation above, and
is rectified to a 12-pulse DC. This
12-pulse DC is changed into the
desired current in inverters, in volt
age and frequency. This output is
used in two consumers, running in
phase. The distortion on the main
bus-bars is considerable reduced.

3. One-way rectifiers (Blue).

The same as above, but the output
of the second transformer is shifted
another 15 degrees .

1000kW

1000kW

The consumers, identical, are using

12 pulses each, but 15 degrees out
of phase relative to each other. The
distortion on the bus-bar is now 24
pulses, and has less effect again.

4. One-way rectifiers (Another

blue).
Each inverter supplied by two dou
ble stock transformers, resulting in
24 pulses to each consumer, a fur
ther reduction of the distortion.
5. Active front-end converter
(Green).
This means that the input is not
just a rectifier which is controlled
by the input voltage, but a control
lable device. Controllable devices
can stop and pass voltage without
the restrictions of a rectifier, so in
dependent of the input voltage.
These devices, thyristors, transis

1000kW

tors, IGBT's and whatever types

are used, can lead power from the
switchboard to the consumer and
back from the consumer to the
switchboard.
Active also means that the convert
er takes power from the switch
board in a controlled way, thus
minimising harmonics. Transform
ers are only required when the volt
ages differ substantially.
Harmonics created by converters,
supplying consumers, are absorbed
by the generators energising the
switchboard . The impedance of the
generators gives an indication of
the capability to absorb harmonics.
A low impedance will absorb more
harmonics than a high impedance,
but is also capable to create a high
er short-Circuit current, requiring
more expensive switchgear.

The shortest definition of EMC

is that this is the capability of an
electric system to neither dis
turb or be disturbed via radia
tion or transferred through the
connection cables.
It also includes disturbance by
signals in cables not connected
to the disturbed unit but signals
running through cables parallel
to cables of the disturbed unit.

EMC management

Determining if an installation fulfills

the EMC requirements is a compli
cated and time consuming exer
cise. It starts with listing the sensi
tive equipment and verifying their
acceptance limits, followed by list
ing the disturbing equipment and
testing their disturbance levels.
A lot of this work is done by the
suppliers under the type-approval
schemes.
The publication IEC 60945 defines
the susceptibility and disturbing
criteria for navigation and nautical
equipment.
The figures in that publication
present the normal environment
which is to be expected on the open
deck and inside the wheelhouse of
a normal ship.
Most navigation and nautical equip
ment has been tested to be able to
cope with this environment.
This is simple insofar as the envi
ronment is under our control.
However, also radio and radar
signals from other ships or shore
based traffic guidance systems in
fluence the ship's environment.

The maintenance and develop

ment of the IEC standards
is a joint exercise of industry,
equ ipment suppliers, shipown
ers, shipbuilders, classification
societies and governments and
also forms the basis for the
rules and regulations of all clas
sification societies.
IEC TC18 standards are pub
lished by the International Elec
tro technical Commision, Gene
va, Switzerland, as IEC 60092
series and are available at the
national standards institutes.
Individual references are given
in the respective paragraphs.

For detailed information and pro

cedures, reference is made to IEC
60533 Electromagnetic Compat
ibility for Electric Installations on
board Ships. Navigation and nau
tical equipment has been tested
in accordance with lEC 60945 and
therefore, suitable for the outside
maritime environment.

EMC environment

Electromagnetic immunity means

eqUipment is capable of operating
satisfactorily under the following
conditions:
Conducted low frequen.cy inter
ference 10% under AC supply
voltage 50 Hz-900 Hz
- 10%-1% under 900 Hz-l0 kHz
- 10% under DC supply voltage
50 Hz- l0 kHz
- Conducted radio frequency in
terference under supply of 3V
rms. 10 kHz-80 MHz
- Radiated interference 10 Vim
between 80 MHz-1GHz
- Fast transients (bursts) 2kV dif
ferential on AC power ports, lkV
common mode on signal and
control ports
- Slow transients, power supply
variation, power supply failure,
and electrostatic discharge (the
phenomenon that happens when
you touch a system in winter in
dry conditions), with a static
discharge voltage of more than
6000 Volts are also considered.

Cable and pipe tunnel, with power

cables situated below in the tunnel
and the control cables, above.

Equipment should not transmit

conducted or radiated signals that

disturb the correct functioning of

other eqUipment.

Normally the conducted emission

is not a problem but the radiated

emission limit between 156MHz

and 165M Hz of only 24 dBINlm

is only slightly above the environ

mental noise level of today.

This is a frequency band associated

with VHF emergency communica

tion.

Equipment used on board ships

should not radiate any signal in this

frequency.

Also frequencies of processors in

programmable logic computers and

other electronic control systems

have to be checked against the en

vironment and tested if any possi

bility of interference exists.

Conducted radio frequency inter

ference 3V rms. 10 kHz-80 MHz

Radiated interference 10 Vim 80

MHz-1GHz.

These figures are for open deck ar

eas and inside the wheelhouse.

EMC measures

To limit the exposed systems, the

following measures are implement

ed:

Cables outside the steel structure

of the ship have to be screened or

installed in steel pipes. The most

effective means is to limit the quan

tity of cable exposed to the outside

environment by installing those in

side the mast or inside a structure,

only exposing them to the outside

when absolutely necessary.

This also prevents incoming inter

ference.

A cable located outside will act as a

receiving aerial and a transmitting

aerial inside the ship if not protect

ed. The actual aerials for radio and

radar reception have been designed

to cope with the environment.

They should not become damaged

by excessive signals such as light

ning or directional radar or track

antennas' signals.

A wheelhouse console is a collec

tion of all type and make of equip
The rest of the disturbing signals

ment.
come from the installation itself.

Most of those are tested for EMC.

Disturbing signals come from radar,

This equipment shall be installed in

radio and echo-sounder and sonar

the original housing as it was test

transmitters.

ed to be sure the required compat

Most suppliers advise how to install

ibility is maintained.
their equipment, what type of cable

Also earthing and type of cables

should be used and how it should

shall be as used during the tests

be routed in relation to other cables

and equipment.

These instructions are based on the

equipment in their tested housing;

therefore, no equipment should be

dismantled to fit into a console.

1.
2.
3.
4.

Single core cable

Multi Cable Transit (MCT)
Bulkhead
Deck

Cables must be selected and routed

according to the type and strength

of signal they transport.

Therefore, suppliers of the equip

ment have to state what signal

group their cables belong to.

Single-core cables with a current

exceeding 200 Ampere per core

must be routed in a three-phase

triangular formation to eliminate

the magnetic fields around the sin

gle cables.

These magnetic fields cause distur

bance to all visual display units and

cause eddy currents to flow in mag

netic materials like ordinary steel

which as a result may heat up.

Therefore, gland plates for single

core cables must be of a non-mag

netic material, like stainless steel.

ead penetration the sum of the current surrounded by the

magnetic material is about zero.

EMC plan

The following describes how to

build up an EMC plan for a cus
toms patrol vessel, with a complete
nautical and navigation package as
well as a hydraulically driven bow
thruster.
This is a good guide of how to make
an EMC plan.

4.1 General project

information
This ship is a modern high speed
patrol and rescue vessel with a
semi-displacement hull for coastal
and offshore services. The patrol
craft is built with a steel hull and an
aluminium superstructure.
The propulsion system consists of
two electronically controlled com
mon-rail diesel engines driving
controleble-pitch propellers.
The electric installation 400/230V
50Hz 3 phase 4-wire neutral
earthed is powered by two elec
tronically controlled common-rail
diesel generator sets .
The bowthruster is hydraulically
driven. All engines are electrically
started from batteries. Emergency
power is also from batteries.

4.2 Definition of EMC

Electromagnetic
Compatibility
(EMC) is the ability of equipment
andlor combinations of equipment
to function properly together as
well as within the ship's environ
ment.

Power and control cables in a

double floor

4.5 Reduction of interference

level at its source

4.3 General arrangement

plan

After having established the loca

tion of the different aerials, the ef
fect on the eqUipment onboard has
to be determined.
Then the distance to the other
equipment has to be conSidered
and the measures defined.
The first source of interference is
the outside environment, such as
other ships or shore-based ship
guidance systems.
All equipment located in the above
deck zone must be suitable for an
EMC environment according to IEC
801-3 frequency range 27 MHz-500
MHz field strength level 10 Vim.

This plan is used to achieve the first

impression how to start with EMC.
It helps to derive the guidelines
and recommendations for technical
measures to achieve electromag
netic compatibility in ships and of
ships' equipment.
These preventive measures con
cern electric and electronic equip
ment and in special cases, non
electric equipment.
The following general measures are
applicable to EMC:
.
a. Decoupling
b. Reduction of the interference
level at its source
c. Increase of the susceptibility
level of the affected equipment
or system.

4.4 Decoupling
Type-tested electronic and electric
equipment is tested by a certified
testing laboratory in order to be
certain that it will function properly
in the expected ship's environment.
Requirements for type-tests can be
found on the web sites of the clas
sification societies as well as Inter
national standard IEC 600945 and
IEC 600533.
Parts of these tests are related to
EMC and are also related to the
disturbance of low level emergency
transmission signals such as VHF
signals in the 156-165 MHz range.
For more extensive definitions of
EMC see IEC 533 electromagnetic
compatibility onboard ships .

Space is limited in ships, especially

in small ships.
The installation of equipment in an
other space or at sufficient distance
from each other to prevent interfer
ence, is difficult.
To find the best compromise for
the location of radio and navigation
aerials, a listing of the aerials in se
quence of importance is made and
then a suitable position is found.
Aerials do interfere when fitted
close to each other.
In order to ensure proper television
reception, it is advisable to install
the omni-directional television aeri
al above the everyday working VHF
aerials.

Near ship's aerials these levels are

far exceeded, for example:
- A 15 metre transmitting wire
aerial connected to a 250 W 500
kHz transmitter creates a field
strength of up to 12000 Vim at
3 metres, reaching the 10 Vim
at a distance of 40 metres
- A 1.8 metre rod aerial connect
ed to a 40 W 40 MHz VHF trans
mitter creates a field strength of
up to 59 Vim at 1 metre, reach
ing the 10 Vim at a distance of
3 metres
- A 3 cm X-band 7 ft navigation
radar antenna connected to a
25 kW 10 GHz radar transceiver
creates a field strength of 57
Vim, reaching the 10 Vim at a
distance of 128 metres
- Naval communication and radar
systems create field strengths
of multiples of the above fig
ures, reaching the 10 Vim value
miles away
- Consequently the antenna plan
must also be reviewed for the
environmental impact to on
board signals.

4.6 First source of

interference
The environment is the first
source of interference with signals
originating from other ships and
shore systems. This environment
has been defined in standards.
All type-approved equipment fulfills
the standard and is suitable to op
erate in the ship's environment.
Outside the ship's structure the
signals are stronger than inside the
metal structure.
The environment can be divided
into:
- above deck zone 10 Vim 80
Mhz - 1 Ghz
- below deck zone.
Due to the large window area, the
wheelhouse is considered 'above
deck zone'.
Cables running in the 'above deck
zone' act as aerials and transport
the signals into the 'below deck
zone' and to other electronic equip
ment.
To avoid this, all outside cables
must either be run in galvanized
steel pipes or be screened.
This screen has to be earthed at
both ends, preferably as close as
possible to the location where the
cable enters the steel structure.

4.7 Second source of

interference
The second source of interference
is the system of cables within the
steel and aluminium structure,
transporting all sorts of signals
through the ship.
The type of signal transported
through a cable determines what
type of cable has to be used and
the group to which the cable be
longs:
(This is the basic matrix linking sig
nals to measures. Every application
has to be provided in detail.)

Group 1 - indifferent
Normal non-screened cable
- Power circuits
Lighting circuits
- Control circuits
Analogue and digital data sig
nals
- Approximate signal range:
10 V - 1000 V DC
50-60 Hz 400 Hz
Group 2 - sensitive
Single-screened cable, additional
twisted pairs
- Computer interfaces
- PLC interfaces
- Reference voltage signals
- Low level analogue and digital
data signals
- Approximate signal range:
0.5 - 115 V DC, 50-60 Hz,
audio-frequency
Group 3 - extreme sensitive
Coaxial cables
- Receiver antenna signal
- Microphone signal
- Video signal
- Approximate signal range:
10 IJV - 100 mV across 50
2000 Q DC, audio frequency to
high frequency
Group 4 - extreme jamming
Coaxial cables screened power ca
bles
- Transmitter antenna cables
- High powered pulse signal ca
bles
- High powered semi-conductor
converter cables
Approximate signal range:
10V - 1000 V broadband signals
To keep the coupling between the
cables small, all lengths must be
as short as possible.

Also,
steel
head
from

the distance between the

or aluminium deck or bulk
must not exceed the figures
the table below.

Example of separation distance in

cm to be maintained between ca
bles of several groups.
Cables terminating in one piece of
eqUipment do not require separa
tion from each other.

Screened cables
- Screened power cables must be
constructed with a galvanized
steel wire braiding with a flat
braided earthing lead of tinned
copper wires underneath
- Screened communication cables
must be constructed with a cop
per wire braiding with a braided
earthing lead of tinned copper
wires underneath.
Earthing
- All consoles, terminal boxes
and distribution boxes, where
screened cables terminate, shall
have an earth connection.
This connection should be close
to the glands or cable transits
to ensure that the connection of
the cable's earthing leads is as
short as possible
- The earth connection to the
steel or aluminium structure of
the ship must also be as short
as possible
- Earthing screens of power ca
bles have to be earthed on both
ends
- Earthing screens of sensitive ca
bles only have to be earthed on
the end where the signal is used
- Earthing of aluminium super
structure to steel hull has to be
done at the jOint.

In order to avoid interference be

tween the cables of the different
groups these must not be run close
together for longer lengths and a
separation distance must be used.

Maximum distance cable

to cable (mm)

max. distance from

metal surface
~

GROUP

10

10

15

10

20

10

15

20

20

' ~.'

Throughpass Multi Cable Transit

(MCT) with fire resistant cables.

4.8 Third source of

interference

4.9

Increase of the
susceptibility levels

The third source of interference is

the power supply system.

Again, the following is the basic

standard which must be detailed

for the specified project.

Remote control and automation

systems are often distributed sys
tems, with intelligent local units,
with suitable filtering and limitation
circuits, to allow non-screened ca
bles for digital input and output .

The project power system sup

plies a three-phase four-wire neu

The data communication between

tral earthed system with two diesel
the local units and the workstations
must be performed with screened
driven generators.

cables and routed separately from

Neutrals are earthed in the genera

tors . The generator circuit breakers

power cables.
Data communication has to be in
have four poles.

stalled using coaxial cables or the

All equipment is also adapted to
signal has to be amplified to such
the "mechanical" aspects of a ship's
a level that the susceptibility levels
exceed the interference levels from
environment with respect to tem

perature, ship's movement and vi

the power cables. In that case no

separation is required.
bration.

This solution can also be used

This supply system is very similar
when, during Harbour Acceptance
to onshore industrial installations .
Tests (HAT) and Sea Acceptance
Standard industrial frequency con

Trials (SAT), unexpected interfer

verters with standard filters limit
ence is found.
the harmonic distortion to accept

able levels as defined below.

All equipment must function cor

rectly when supplied from an AC

power supply system with the fol

lowing characteristics:

AC POWER SUPPLY TOLERANCE

Cables directly into the structure to

reduce interference.

MAX DEVIATION

Line to line voltage (continuous)

6%

-10%

Line to line voltage tolerance inc!. line voltage unbalance (continuous)

7%

-12%

Line voltage unbalance (deviation)

3%

Voltage cyclic variation (continuous)

2%

Transients (seconds e.g. due to load variation tolerance)

Peak impulse voltage (e.g. caused by switching)
Rise time I delay time

20%
5.5 x nom. voltage

< 5%

Single Harmonic Distortion

<3%

Frequency tolerance (continuous)

5%

Frequency cyclic variation deviation

5%
10%

Voltage cyclic variation (continuous)

5%

Voltage ripple

10%

24 V DC systems

-5%

MAX DEVIATION

Voltage tolerance (continuous)

Peak impulse voltage (e.g . caused by switching)

1.2 J..Is I 50' J..Is

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)

DC POWER SUPPLY TOLERANCE

-20%

-10%

1.2 J..IS 150 J..IS

500V

110 V DC systems

1500V

220 V DC Systems

2500V

4.10 Communication and

navigation equipment
1. VHF 1 and 2: Cell wave CX4 ra
dio telephone with DSC:
VHF aerial separated from DSC
aerial, transceiver cable coaxial
and routed separately from re
ceiver cables.
2. VHF NAVTEX receiver: receiver
cables coaxial.
3. HF 2182 kHz homing device: re
ceiver cables coaxial.
4. MF/HF receiver unit receiver
aerial shielded from transmit
ting aerial, receiver cables coax
ial and routed separately from
transmitter cables.
5. MF/HF transmitter unit with
antenna tuner 150W transmit
ter cable coaxial and routed
separately. MF/HF aerial must
be shielded against accidental
touch. Warning signs to be ap
plied.
6. DGPS 1 and 2. Aerials to be lo
cated to avoid similar blind ar
eas GSM 1 and 2.
Aerials to be located to avoid
similar blind areas as AlS.
Transceiver cable coaxial.
7. Satcom C1 and C2. Aerials to be
located to avoid similar areas.
Transceiver cables coaxial and
routed separately from receiver
cables.

8. Satcom Mini-M transceiver ca

bles coaxial and routed sepa
rately from receiver cables.
9. TV/FM/AM antenna to be locat
ed free. Cable coaxial.
10.X-band Radar (3 cm wave
lenght). 6ft Aerial to be located
above S-band radar. Transceiver
is integrated. Composite cables
to operator station separation
group 3 sensitive. Composite
cable not to be interrupted.
1l.S-band Radar (10 cm wave
lenght). 12ft Aerial to be locat
ed free from X-band antenna,
transceiver is integrated. Com
posite cables to operator station
are separation group 3, as per
supplier's
recommendations.
Signal cables are also separa
tion group 3. Sensitive com
munication cables are group
2. Composite cables not to be
coupled in mast junction box
but routed directly. Both radar
aerials to be located in such a
way to avoid similar blind sec
tors due to steel structure.
12. Magnetic compass to be fitted
free from magnetic (ferrous)
structures.
13. Wind speed and direction trans
mitter to be installed unob
structed.

Other equipment:
- Gyrocompass: signal outputs
screened
- Electromagnetic log and echo
sounder
- Echosounder. Cables usually co
axial and separated from other
cables
- Steering system: non-screened
cables not routed in the wheel
house area
- Power supply cables to above
equipment: if routed in wheel
house area other than inside a
metal-clad cubicle, must also
be screened
- All exposed cables in wheel
house area must be screened
- Automatic telephone system:
screened twisted pair cables,
no separation, telephones in
wheelhouse area installed into
metal-clad console
- Amplified batteryless system:
screened twisted pair cables, no
separation, telephone in wheel
house area installed in metal
clad console
- Public address system: non
screened cables, no separation,
microphones
in
wheelhouse
area installed in metal-clad con
sole.

Warning signs to be positioned

near the stairs to the top deck:
Danger electromagnetic radi
ation.

11f'~\

11

l<t

5
6

~~
~ _ ~_ ;;;

10

~l

,'.

'~:ill:

Conning position

Communication position (GMDSS)

___-.- --.-- -'_.:;;

rd'............ _

" . _ fi_-,- ~",,,,:IrIJtW(,!,

f;l-:r- -i, ~.wu1't.:I I\>

Front view

cD

Rear view

Nautical position

... l~

---r -

.,

Cables for energy generation

and energy conversion.
- Navigation lights:
outside cables must be screened
and run in pipes with open
bends, exposed length limited
to 20 cm per bend
- Whistle:
outside cables run in pipes with
open bends
- General alarm system:
non-screened cables, no sepa
ration
- Main generators: non-screened
cables, no separation
- 24 V DC systems:
non-screened cables and no
separation, with exception sup
ply circuits into the wheelhouse
area if not installed inside a
steel-clad console. These cables
have to be screened, but no
separation is necessary
- Starters:
both for power and control cir
cuits non-screened cables and
no separation
- Lighting: cables to outside light
ing must be routed through gal
vanized steel pipes with open
bends. The cable length ex
posed shall be limited to 20 cm
per bend. Non-screened cables
and no separation necessary.
For wheelhouse area, screened
cables and no separation
- Cables between frequency con
verters and motors must be
screened, earthed at both ends,
separated from other cables
and to be considered as ex
treme jamming (group 4) .
Switchgear and control sys
tems.
Switchboards/motor
control
centers: both for power and
control circuits non-screened
cables and no separation.
Main lighting switchboard: non
screened cables and no separa
tion, with the exception of sup
ply circuits into the wheelhouse
area, if not installed directly in
side a steel-clad console. These
cables have to be screened, but
no separation.
lighting
switch
- Emergency
board:
non-screened cables
and no separation, with ex
ception supply circuits into the
wheelhouse area, if not in
stalled inside a steel-clad con
sole . These cables have to be
screened, but no separation.

Lighting distribution panels non

screened cables and no separa
tion, with the exception of sup
ply circuits into the wheelhouse
area, if not installed inside a
steel-clad console. These cables
have to be screened, but no
separation.

Signal processing equipment.

- Fire detection systems screened
cables, no separation
- The remote control and auto
mation system can be a dis
tributed system with intelligent
local units with suitable filter
ing and limitation circuits. Non
screened cables for digital input
and output is sufficient, but may
be executed with screened ca
bles without separation. Ana
logue input must be executed
with screened cables without
separation. Data communica
tion between the local units and
work stations must be execut
ed with screened cables routed
separately from power cables or
with coaxial cables.

6.
11 .
12 .
13.

DGPS - aerial
TV/FM/AM antenne
X-band (3 cm) radar
S-band (10 cm) radar

Non-electric outfit
Rigging shall be earthed.
Integrated equipment
- Voyage management system:
video signals coaxial, network
coaxial cables
- Enclosures of equipment in e.g.
wheelhouse consoles shall not
be taken off or modified without
permission of the manufacturer.
Equipment located in hazard
ous areas
- Cables for intrinsically safe cir
cuits must be screened and
clearly ' marked, for instance,
by colours and separated from
other cables
- Cables for power circuits in haz
ardous areas must be screened
for earth fault detection.

17. Electromagn ~i~_compatibility (EMC)

4.11 Mast construction and

cable routing
The masts of some ships are re

movable. Therefore, junction boxes

are fitted for cables to the equip

ment in the mast. These junction

boxes have to be watertight and

have a metal-clad cover, preferably

bolted and separately earthed. The

mounting plate should be metal

and separately earthed. The screen

of the cables has to be coupled

through isolated terminals .

All cables must be routed inside the

mast and/or in steel or aluminium

pipes with open bends to avoid in

terference from Radars and MF/HF

aerials.

Cables of group 4 Transceiver ca

bles have to be routed separately

from other cables as well as sepa

rate from each other.

Cables on deck chemical tanker

This can be achieved by introduc

ing mounting hatches and fastening
strips in two legs of the mast, or in
pipes .
One pipe to be used for groups 1, 2
and 3 cables and the group 3 cables
should be routed separate from 1
and 2 insofar as possible.

A compromise is thus, to install the

additional screen only where the ca
bles run parallel for longer lengths
inside the mast and wheelhouse.
The screening can then be taken off
near the connections at the ends
and the original connectors can be
used.

4.12 Cable routing in general

The other pipe must be used for the
transceiver cables of group 4 and as
these cannot be interrupted, there
is no need for a junction box.
Group 4 cables, however, must also
be separated from each other. When
this is not possible within the space
limitations inside the mast, these
cables must be provided with ad
ditional screening. This then allows
these cables to be routed together.
This screening, however, does not
fit in the plugs for the equipment.

1. Intrinsically safe cables

2. Control cables
3. Cable tray

In general, cable routing, trays,

deck and bulkhead penetrations
must allow for separation as de
fined before.
When separation distances cannot
be met, as in the case of a single
pipe mast, alternative measures
must be taken, such as the instal
lation of an extra screen around a
cable. This increases the shielding
of the cable and limits the radiation
to the environment.
This is applicable to all group 4
cables in this project. Additional
screening has to be provided for the
longer lengths and screening over
the shorter lengths has to be mini
mal.

Electric Cables form the con

nections between the different
parts of an electric installation.
They are nowadays available in
many varieties and quality.
The main acceptable types are:
- low smoke
- low toxic
- fire resistant.
Application of such more so
ph isticated cables like for in
stance the fire resistant variety
will reduce the consequences
and damage of a fire contrary
to the commercially attractive
PVC-insulated types .
These pvc cables generate toxic
and corrosive gases during a
fire, resulting in a lot more dam
age to the installation than the
parts which are directly dam
aged by the fire.
A disadvantage, however, of
the low smoke types of ca
bles is that their mechanica l
properties, as strength against
mechanical stress while being
pulled, is considerably less with
the possibility of damage with
installation .

8
3

Cables

Some samples of ship 's cables,

from top to bottom
a. Normal three-core power cable
b. Fire resistant screened power
cable
c. Fire resistant power cable
d . Fire resistant control cable
e. Double screened (EMC) power
cable
f. Overall screened signal cable.
Cables for ship 's installations differ
from those for on-shore installation
by the way the conductor is built
up . Instead of a solid conductor as
in most on-shore or industrial ca
bles, a marine cable cons ists of a
stranded conductor consisting of 7
or more wires to cope with the vi
brating environment.
This does not mean that a MARINE
cable is flexible enough for a non
fixed or a moving installation.
A further difference with on-shore
installations is that cables in a ma
rine environment must be fi xed to
the cable supports.
Flexible cables for moving installa
tions such as cranes or telescopic
supported wheelhouses are fixed to
movable cable trays.

- - - - - . . . .--;;;. --..11'0..:.

Flexible cables shall consist of flexible conductors, i.e. stranded of 19

or more wires and special flexible
insulating materials, wh ich have
that capability also at lower temperatures (below zero).

1. Core of twisted copper conductors

2. Mica wrap
3. Co re insulation
4. Filler
5. Inner sheath
6. Copper wrap
7. Braiding copper or galvanized
steel
8. Outer sheath.

Cables with solid conductors up to

2.5 mm 2 can be used in ship's ac
commodations.
See for details of shipboard cables
the relevant lEC standards.

Screened power cable consisting

of, in addition to the above cable, 4
copper sheath, 5 and 6 galvanised
steel wire braiding .
Screened single core AC power
cables shall have a non-magnetic
screen, because a steel braiding
will heat up by the magnetic field
resulting from the current in the
cable.
The same is applicable when single
core AC power cables pass through
a steel bulkhead penetration. The
sum of the currents through such
a penetration shall be zero. Also
gland plates for single core cables
shall be of non-magnetic materials.
Screened multicore control ca
ble consisting of laid up twisted
pairs.
Fire resistant cable.
Cables which should remain func
tioning under fire conditions have
a similar construction as other ca
bles, but are provided with an ad
ditional layer of mineral insulation
around the conductors, in this case
mica tape.
It is amazing to see how this simple
measure makes the cable fire re
sistant, not only in straight lengths
but also in bent parts of the cable
run.
Tests have been performed at sev
eral cable manufacturers' works
where straight and bent pieces of
cables have been subjected to a
standard fire test up to 1000 C for
a period of one hour. These cables
remain in service, with acceptable
megger readings between the con
ductors and between conductors
and earth.
The cores are found still capable
to transport electrical power, which
means that no wire is interrupted .
When fire resistant cables are used
all other parts of the system like
junction boxes involved, should
also be fire resistant.

Application fire
resistant cables

Fire resistant cables are applied

when the circuits have to remain in
operation under fire conditions .
This is mainly limited to safety
and fire fighting circuits such as
emergency lighting, fire detection,
alarming circuits, communication
circuits and fire safety shutdown
circuits.
Fire resistant cables shall be used
to ensure continuity of service in
spaces adjacent to the space which
could be damaged by fire .
For example emergency lighting
circuits routed through an engine
room supplying a steering-gear
room.
The same is applicable to a public
address circuit running through a
fire zone servicing loudspeakers in
a next fire zone.
Another example is a fire door,
which requires electric power to
close, has to get its supply by a fire
resistant cable from a safe area.
If the door would close by itself
when the power supply is inter
rupted, a normal cable would be
acceptable.
The same is applicable to any sort
of safety equipment or essential
propulsion equipment.
Duplicated
essential
propulsion
equipment shall not be powered
from the same source or be pow
ered by cables routed along a com
mon cable run other than protected
individually against mechanical and
fire damage.

Cable selection tables

The table on the next page shows

the cable ratings for various types
of cables for an ambient tempera
ture of 45 C.
When cables are installed in an
area with a different ambient tem
perature, the correction factors as
per table on the top of the page
should be applied.
Example:
A cross linked PE cable of 3 x 4 has
a current rating of 27A.
When this cable is installed in an
area with an ambient temperature
of 60 C a correction factor of 0.79
must be applied. The current rating
then will be 0.79 x 27 = 21.33A
Note: correction factors for bunch
ing of cables may also be applied
and class rules must be consulted
for the corresponding values.

To indicate the quality of the cable, codes are printed on the outside, ac
cording to the production standard.

Correction factors for cables

Insulation material

PVC, Polyethylene

EPR, XLPE

Mineral. Silicon rubber

Nominal
cross section
Qmm2

(#AWG)

1.25( # 16)

1.12
1.10

0.71
0.77

THERMOPLASTIC, PVC, PE

EP RUBBER and CROSSLINKED

PE

Single
Core

2-core

3- or 4
core

Single
Core

2-core

10

18

15

0.61
0.71

0.50
00.63

0.55

0.45

SILICON RUBBER or MINERAL

core

Single
Core

2-core

3- or 4
core

13

23

19

16

3- or 4

In order to determine the neces

sity for fire resistant cables and the
cable routing, the approved Safety
Plan showing the watertight bulk
heads, fire resistant bulkheads and
decks, the A-60 insulation and the
fire zones, is required.
Larger cross-sections are consid
ered unsuitable for installation on
ships because of their size and as
sociated bending radius.

Parallel cables have to be routed in

such a way that suffiCient air can

circulate for cooling.

If this is not the case, de-rating fac

tors must be applied.

AWG in the above table re

fers to American Wire Gauge
which is the cross section as per
American standards.

When a cable is damaged due

to a too high ambient tempera
ture, and has to be replaced,
the proper quality cable has to
be chosen. Refitting using the
same quality cable will result
in the same damage, or the
allowed current has to be re
duced as per table above.

electronics wherever the smoke

travels, and the toxic element can
be potentially hazardous to per
4.1 Introduction
sons. This concern is particularly
Cables come in a variety of sizes,
important in places where many
materials and types dependent on
people will be around like in the ac
their application.

commodation of a ship.
Cables are made up of three major
Most power cables nowadays are
using polymers or polyethylene, in
components:

- one of more conductors

cluding (XLPE) for insulation of the

- one or more layers insulation

cores which allows the cables to be

- one or more protective jackets.
used with higher core temperatures
than the older cable types that use
The construction of a cable and the
PVC insulation.
materials used are determined by
Special cables are often custom
the following factors:

made like the cables for connec

- working voltage, determining
tion of a Remote Operated Vehicle
(ROV). Those cables are more often
the thickness of the insulation.
- current-carrying capacity, de
hybrid cables that include conduc
termining the cross-sectional
tors for power supplies, control sig
size of the conductor(s) .
nals and fibre optic fibres for data
- environmental conditions such
transfer and CCTV signals.
as temperature, water, chemi
4.1.1 Medium and high volt
cals or sunlight exposure.
- mechanical impact, determin
cables
ing the form and composition of
Cables for use in medium or high
the outer cable jacket.
voltage installations, above 1000
Application which determines,
volts, have extra conductive shields
between the conductors and a con
amongst others, the required
flexibility of the cable.
ductive shield may surround each
insulated conductor. This equalizes
Cables come in all shapes and sizes
electrical stress on the cable in
for a wide range of applications.
sulation. The individual conductor
From network cables, fibre optic
shields of these cables are connect
cables, low voltage cables to high
ed to earth / ground at the ends of
the cable. To enhance safety me
voltage cables and everything in
between.
dium and high voltage cables have
Larger power cables use so-called
a distinctive colour from other ca
sector shaped conductors which
bles, mostly bright red, and are in
makes these thinner than when
stalled on separate cable supports.
circle-shaped conductors would be
4.2 Cable manufacturing
used. Non-conducting filler strands
may be added to the cable assem
bly to maintain its shape .
Cable manufacturing involves a
number of stages, starting with raw
For installation in ships most ca
materials such as large quantities
bles are speCified to be of the low
of thick copper wires.
smoke, halogen free type.
This is because halogenated mate
As an example the following is a
rials in cables will release corrosive
brief description of the various
and toxic gases if ignited in a fire.
stages in the manufacturing proc
The corrosive element of these
ess of a larger type power cable
gases has the potential to damage
with a steel braiding for mechanical
protection.
4

The making of a cable

The image at the bottom of this

page shows the various layers of
the power cable which will be de
scribed with the following compo
nents:
1. Stranded copper cores
2. Individual core insulation
3. Filler compound between cores
4. Insulation material over cores.
5. Steel braiding
6. Insulation material over steel
braiding.
The manufacturing process will be

as follows, where the numbers in

brackets refer to the part of the ca

ble as listed above.

To get a particular size of copper

wire for a type of cable the raw cop

per wires are pulled through draw

ing dies, set to the correct size, by

friction wheels. (Image 1)

The individual cores are twisted

into stranded conductors (1).

(Image 2)

The individual cores are covered

with an insulating material like

cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE)

with a specific colour to identify the

use of the conductor. For power ca

bles this will be phase, neutral or

ground when included(2).

The individual isolated conductors

are twisted together (Image 3) and

a filler compound is added between

the wires (3).

An inner insulation layer is applied

over the twisted cores and filler

compound (4).

A layer of steel wires is spun around

the inner isolation layer forming the

steel braiding (5) (Image 4).

An insulation layer is applied over

the steel braiding (6) (Image 5).

A cross section of a power cable is

shown as an example of the struc

ture. (Image 6) This cross section is

from a cable without the inner iso

lating layer but with the filling com

pound. Each phase is built from 39

sub cores with each about 40 wires,

so in this example each phase will

have close to 1600 smaller individ

ual copper wires.

When the manufacturing process is

completed the cable is ready for the

manufacturer's tests and after that

ready for delivery (Image 7).

"'

Cable trays and cable

fixing

For minimum internal radia of bends

for low voltage cables, an average
figure of 6 times the overall diame
tre is a reasonable rule of thumb.
Above 1000 V, i.e. high voltage
cables, the figure lies between
15 times the overall diametre for

multi-core cables and 20 times for

single-core cables.

Also, the environmental tempera

ture during installation must be

taken into account; at tempera

tures lower than plus 5 centigrade,

pulling of cables must be stopped,

as the outside screens and core in

sulation are likely to be damaged.

High voltage cables must be segre

gated from low voltage cables.

Cables have to be type-tested, or

in case no type approval is avail

able, tested by the manufacturer

and certified by the classification

society.

These tests must include:

- measurement of electrical re

sistance of conductors
- high voltage test
- insulation resistance measure
ment
- for high voltage cables, partial
discharge tests
All tests have to be carried out in
accordance with a relevant stand
ard by the manufacturer prior to
dispatch.
Fixed cable supports for a single or
a small amount of cables are sim
ple steel strips welded to the ship's
structure.
For larger quantities of cables, lad
der type trays are used.
Cable trays come in different sizes
and are made of different materi
als. The simplest are the cable
trays made from ordinary steel
which are painted before the cables
are pulled.
Outside cable trays are hot dipped
galvanized or made of stainless
steel.
When stainless steel is used care
must be taken to isolate those cable
trays from ordinary steel supports
to avoid galvanic corrosion . When
weight is an issue, aluminium type
cable trays are used. In that case
a seawater-proof type must be se
lected to avoid excessive corrosion .

Examples of fixed and flexible cable trays.

In any case, all cable tray types

other than the ordinary steel types
will be more expensive both for ma
terial and installation cost. When
weight is an issue light weight ca
ble trays made of a glass fibre re
inforced composite material can be
used. These types of cable trays
are identified with FRP or GRP.
Cables are normally fixed with plas
tic bands, so-called Ty-raps, which
should be of UV restinstant mate
rial when used outside. Steel cable
bands are used when cables are
mounted on vertical cable trays or
when on the bottom side of over
head horizontal cable trays.
When single core or high voltage
cables are involved special con
sideration should be given to the
choice of materials. (non-magnetic,
stainless steel)

Maxium distances cable supports

External diametre of cable

exceeding not exceeding
mm
mm
8
13
20
30

8
13
20
30

Non-armoured Armoured
cables
cables
mm
mm
200
250
250
300
300
350
350
400
400
450

t '

Additional fire protection by application of fire re

sistant coating (white covers at the top) around ca
bles, passing through a fire-insulated deck.

Pipe and cable tunnel in a ship for heavy cargo

Watertight cable penetration (MeT, Multi cable

transit)

High voltage cables

Minimum bending radia for fixed cables

Cable construction
Insulation

Thermoplastic and elastomeric

600/1000 V and below

Mineral
Thermoplastic and elastomeric
above 600/1000 V
- single core
- multicore

18. Electric cabling

Overall diametre
of cable

Minimum internal radius

of bend
(times overall diametre
of cable)

Metal sheathed
Armoured and
braided

Any

60

Other finishes

:::; 25 mm
> 25 mm

40
60

Hard metal
sheathed

Any

60

Any
Any

Any
Any

200
150

Outer covering

High voltage cables

High voltage cables are slightly dif

ferent, from a construction point of
view.
Above 3kV HV cables have a radial
field construction with an earthing
screen between the cores and the
outside insulation .
A radial distribution of field
strength is obtained by making the
transfer of field strength radially
from the conductor to the insula
tion and from the insulation to the
screens, by means of semiconduc
tive layers and special installation
parts. Radial means homogeneous
field strength resulting in minimum
electrical stresses.
High voltage cable must be tested
after installation and on completion
of termination.

Flexible cables

Cable penetrations

Marine standard cables are suitable

for fixed installation onboard ships
and offshore installations. Although
provided with stranded conductors,
these cables are only suitable for
fixed limited movement and at fa
vourable temperatures.
A vertically moving deckhouse, in
use on inland waterway ships, ena
bling passing under bridges or for
proper lookout in case of a high
cargo, requires special flexible con
ductors. The insulation materials
and sheathing materials need to be
of a more flexible type, in connec
tion with the expected environmen
tal conditions such as frost.
Additional attention to special ca
bles, such as coaxial cables, is re
quired to achieve the required life
time .

Multiple and single cable penetra

tions are determined in a similar
way. A watertight bulkhead re
quires a different type of penetra
tion compared with those for a fire
bulkhead or -deck.
Standard cable penetrations are
A-60 fire resistant and are water
tight up to a pressure of 50 metres
water column.
They are readily available in several
types, such as cast types, sealed
with a suitable compound after
completion of the installation .
Multicable transits (MeT's) use a
steel frame that is welded or bolted
in a deck or bulkhead. The cables
pass this steel frame and the space
between the cables is filled with
accurately selected rubber blocks.
When all blocks are fitted a larger
pressure block is inserted that is
expanded to seal the MCT.
This system allows opening of the
cable transit and adding more ca
bles at a later date .

Telescopic supported wheelhouse

Multiple glands with rubber sealing

blocks

The special installation parts con

sist of a shrink-on 3-pole sleeve
that connects the cable lug on the
core to the core semiconductive
layer and the core shield to the
semiconductive layer around the
core insulation.

1. Round copper conductor

2. Semiconductive XLPE with sem
iconductive tape
3. XLPE core insulation
4 . Semiconductive XLPE with semi
conductive tape
5. Core shield with copper tape and
copper round braiding
6. XLPE inner sheath
7. Galvanized steel wire braiding
8. Outer screen MBZH red .

Radial field cable

Design Appraisal Document (or Cer

tificate, depending on the Classifi
cation Society) is a statement that
the Class has examined drawings or
prescriptions of equipment (or an
alteration) and that that has been
approved for the intended use.
In this case it handles electric ca
bles, intended to be used on board
ships.
It declares that the cables are fabri
cated in accordance with the Rules
for Steel Vessels (ships) and in ac
cordance with the MODU Code, the
Rules for Mobile Offshore and Drill
ing Units.

18. Electric cabling

Also when a conversion to an exist

ing, classed ship or offshore unit has
to be carried out, which is subject
to Class approval, such a statement
has to be issued after examination
and approval of the drawings which
in such a case have to be submitted
for approval.
Subject to, approval are changes
to the ships construction or to ali
equipment which is part of power
generation, propulsion, watertight
integrity, as far as this is described
in the Classification Rules and Reg
ulations or by SOLAS.

SOLAS is in principle a Flagstate

matter, but is by many countries
delegated to Class.
Often the relevant drawings are
provided with comments, which the
local surveyor, during approval at
the location of the conversion has
to check.
These comments are in such case
written on the DAD.
The local surveyor refers to the par
ticular DAD in his report on comple
tion of the work.

CERTIFICATE

--

NUMBER

07 -PR286193-PDA

ASS

DATE
07. NO\'cmb@r 2007

TECHNICAL OFFICE

Piraeus Engineering Sel\llce~

CERT1F1CATE

OF

Design Assessment
This is to Certify that a representative of this Bureau did, at the request of

UNIKA UNIVERSAL KABLO SAN. VE TIC A.S.

assess design plnns and data for the below listed product. This assessment is a representation by the
Bureau \IS to the degree of compliance the design exhibits with applicable sections of lhe Rules. This
assessment docs not waive unit certific.ation or classification proce<illl'es required by ASS Rules Cor
products to be installcd in ABS classed vessels or facilities_ This certificate, by itseJt~ does not retled
that the product is Type Approved. The scope and limitations of this assessment arc detailed on the
pages attached to this certificate. It will remain valid as noted below or until the Rules or
specifications used in the assessment arc rcvised (whichever OCCurs first).

PRODUCT:

Eleciric Cabl@s

MODEl:

U-HF m. U-HFA m. U-HFA m EMC. UHFfR In, U-HFFRA Ill. UHFAT Ill, UttFAT m (I). U-HFAT
U,HFAT to (I+C). UHFFRAT m, UHFFRAT m (I). UNFFRAT m (C) . U-HFFRAT m (I+C).

ABS RULE:

2007 S"eel Vessels Rules 1.1-417 .7, 4-~3l9 , 1, 9 .3, 9,. 5, 9,9,
2000 MODU Rum 4-3-4113.1.

OTHER STANDARD:

IEC 60092-353 (I 995'()1 as amended by Amendment 1 of 200104),60092-375 (1977-01). 6CO!)2-376

(200305), 60228 (200411). 60097.350 (2001-06). 60092-351 (2004-04). 60092-359 (1999-08). 60331-21 ,
60331-31 . 60332-3.00811.;

m (C).

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Cable connections

A vital part of the electrical instal

lation are the cable connections as
these make the real connections
between the various parts of the
systems.
Cable connections come in all
shapes and sizes to suit every pos
sible type of connection like for ex
ample:
- High voltage power cables
- Low voltage power cables
- Multicore cables
- Coaxial cables
- Fibre optic cables
- Network cables

Every type of connection has its

own specific requirement and there
are large specialist companies, who
have developed and produced a
whole range of cable connections.
One development is the push-in
terminal (PIT) for control cables
which does away with the screws
and saves connection time.
Power connections, both for high
and low voltage, are most critical
especially when these are for large
currents.

When these connections are not

made with the correct cable lugs for
the wire-cross section and crimped
with the right tool the connection
may be loose .
A loose connection has a higher
resistance which generates heat
which eventually can lead to a fire .
This also applies to the bus bars in
switchboards .
The nuts and bolts that secure the
bus bars must be tightened with
a torque wrench set at the correct
threshold.

Automation helps the crew to

operate the systems on board
easier and safer.
It will execute actions which are
too complicated for the crew to
handle in a given time.
Automation allows automatic ob
servation of systems, registration
of failures, registration of service
time and planned maintenance.
Detailed requirements for Auto
matic Control Systems on board
of ships are described in IEC
publication 60092-504 Control
and instrumentation.

Automation

The level of automation depends

on a number of factors:
- requirements of the owner
- function of the ship
- cost
- complexity of the installation
- rules and regulations of the
classification society and the
Flag State (registry)
First of all a cost/availability anal
ysis has to be made before plan
ning automation .
Integration of systems and the in
troduction of distributed control
systems is an ongoing process.
It reduces cost of cabling and man
ning.
The only problem is that the rules
and regulations of both the classi
fication societies and those of the
national authorities cannot keep up
with this everchanging process.
Such a control system can consist
of programmable logic control
lers with remote input and output
modules, connected through a two
wire bus system and operated/su
pervised from a PC type worksta
tion through an operator-friendly
SCADA software package.
Redundancy both in hardware and
software is a logical requirement
for automatic systems.
Software must be well-structured
and tested as per class standards.
Essential systems required for sail
ing and comfort of the crew must
have sufficient back-up or emer
gency controls.

Field I/O panel of a distributed automation and control system.

1.1

More advanced systems

An operator workstation makes

more sophisticated systems possi
ble, including control and display of
engine room systems with sophis
ticated graphics.
Trends over a period of time can be
captured. Analyses of relationships
between figures can be calculated.
Running hours and the required
automatic logging of all figures can
be stored, along with many other
statistics.
Some examples of systems that
can be part of an automatic control
system are:
Tank gauging system
From the simple, such as pro
viding liquid heights to the
more sophisticated, giving tank
contents in m3 or even in tons.
Reefer monitoring system
From failure alarms to com
plete data logs of the reefer's
temperature and CO 2 content
throughout the voyage, which
can prove that cargo is not
damaged due to transport.
Generator control and pow
er management system
From minimum automatic start
ingof a standby generator in

case of generator failure and

sequential restarting of all es
sentials to a complete load-de
pendent start-stop of the gen
erator plant. In this case, there
is automatic power reduction in
case of generator failure, until
the standby generator is start
ed, has been synchronised, put
on-line and has taken the load.
Propulsion remote control
system
From straight forward remote
control systems where each
handle controls a single engine
or propeller to state-of-the-art
systems which can make a ship
move 25 metres to port, rotate
with the stern as rotating point
over 90 0 to port, follow track or
a link in location, adjust speed
in accordance with available wa
ter depth.

In automation there are no techni

cal limits and therefore, a balance
between expected results and cost
has to be found.
Essential automation systems must
be composed of type-approved
eqUipment and are subject to an
acceptance test at the manufac
turer's under conditions as real as
possible.

Two automatic boilers

Generator connection box with automatic voltage

regulator cover open

Governor controlling speed of auxiliary engine

Automatic sewage plant

Local control systems

Some equipment has a dedicated

local control system which is sepa
rated from the central automation
system.
Most of the time these local control
systems exchange some param
eters with the central automation
system. Examples are:
- Basic engine room alarm and
monitoring system, consisting
of simple displays giving status
and analogue values of essen
tial parameters as required by
class .
- Local self-contained small au
tomatic systems controlling lu
bricating oil temperatures and
high and low water tempera
tures of propulsion and auxiliary
diesel engines.
- Local automatic voltage regula
tors for generators, controlling
the voltage.
- Local governors on engines,
controlling engine speed.
- Local standby starters for dupli
cated essential auxiliaries.
- Local automatic boilers
- Local automatic sewage plant.

Essential services

Essential services are those servic

es required for sailing and keeping
the ship in a habitable condition.
Electric power required for propul
sion can be supplied by a single
generator set or by more sets in
parallel. When supplied by a single
generator, failure of this generator
set should start a second generator.
This generator should automatical
ly be connected to the switchboard
followed by automatic restart of all
essential auxiliaries.
A sequential start system may be
required to limit the step load to
the diesel engine.

Essential services include:

Main and emergency lighting
Propulsion engine lubricating oil
pumps (if not engine driven)
Propulsion engine freshwater
pumps (if not engine driven)
Propulsion engines seawater
pumps ( if not engine driven)
Fuel oil booster pumps
Gearbox lubricating oil pumps
Controllable pitch propeller hy
draulic pumps
Steering gear hydraulic pumps
Start air compressors
Engine room fans

Failure mode and effect

analysis

The Failure Mode and Effect Analy

sis is an appraisal of the result of a
failure of eqUipment on the opera
tion of a ship (or any other type of
equipment).
This study is compulsory for units
which have to fulfill the require
ments of the MODU Code.
The MODU Code is one of the IMO
Codes, especially drawn up for off
shore equipment. MODU stands for
Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit.
Originally for drilling eqUipment
On ships sailing on heavy fuel oil,
only, but later made a requirement
fuel oil circulating pumps, thermal
for offshore equipment in general.
oil Circulating pumps and a thermal
FMEA is not limited to the automa
oil boiler are essential and must au

tion of electrical systems but covers

tomatically restart.

all systems required for propulsion

of a ship and all components.
When the electric power required
The following example of an FMEA
for propulsion is supplied by more
covers the layout, the auxiliary sys
generators in parallel, an automatic
tems and the electrical installation
load shedding system must be fit

of a large pipe lay vessel with the

ted.

following main characteristics:

This system reduces the load im

- 6 main generators each 3360kW

mediately to the capacity of the re

- Thrusters forward, two retract

maining generator(s) after failure

able azimuth thrusters each

of one generator.

2400kW, one tunnel thruster

2200kW
When large motors with frequency
- Three azimuth thrusters each
drives are installed the control sys

2900kWaft
tem can be programmed to reduce
- Class notation Lloyd's Register
the speed of the motors when the

+100Al, +LMC, UMS, DP(AA)

generators are close to be over

equal to class 2.
loaded.

A complete shutdown of these mo

The class notation DP(AA) or class

tors is then not required and when
2, requires that a single failure does
enough power is available again the
not result in loss of position of the
motors can be set to the original
vessel. Flooding or fire of a space is
not considered in this notation.
speed.

The ship is designed for dual fuel

Sequential restart timing priority:

but marine gas oil is used during

- Instantaneous main and emer
DP operation with heavy fuel only
for long passages or between jobs.
gency lighting
After 5 seconds, lubricating oil
pumps, engines and gearboxes
An FMEA addresses the items:
1. Layout of the vessel, location of
and fuel oil pumps and thermal
oil system and pumps
main components, such as die
Steering gear pumps and con
sel generators, switchboards,
trollable pitch propeller pumps
transformers, converters and
Freshwater pumps and air com
thrusters.
pressors
2. Compressed air systems
- Seawater pumps
3. Cooling water systems
- In about 30 seconds, all auxilia
4. Fuel oil systems
ries are back in service and pro
5. Freshwater system
pulsion engines can be restarted
6. Seawater system
7. Thruster control system
When auxiliaries are engine driven
8. Electric main distribution sys
and the engines can be started
tem
without lubricating oil pressure,
this process is simpler.
On the following pages the general
layout and the various systems are
depicted.

t.-::- -"..J,---~ '

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DECK 2 (LOWER TWEENDECK;

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5300 A. E.

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DECK 1 (TANKTOP)
1250 I 1475 A. B.

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equipment

""

1. Retractable azimuth thruster

room 1
2. Tunnel thruster room 2
3. Retractable azimuth thruster
room 3
4. Separator room 1
5. Separator room 2
6. Engine room PS 1
7. Engine room 58 2
8. HV Switchboard room 1 (PS)
9. HV Switchboard room 2 (58)
10. Engine control room
l1.lV switchboard room 1 (PS)
12.lV Switchboard room 2 (58)
13.Winch room
14. Moonpool
15.Caroussel hold
16.Azimuth thruster room 4 (PS)

;~~~~~!!f.r~~~~~~~iI~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:;~~~17'AZimuth

18.Azimuth thruster room 6 (Cl)

~101

"

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19

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thruster room 5 (58)

19 . Not used
20 .Not used
21. Diesel generator 1
22 . Diesel generator 2
23 . Diesel generator 3
24 . Diesel generator 4
25 . Diesel generator 5
26. Diesel generator 6
27.HV switchboard 1 (PS)
28 .HV switchboard 2 (58)
29. HV/lV transformer 1 (PS)
30 . HV/lV transformer 2 (PS)
31.lV switchboard 1 (PS)
32. HV/lV transformer 3 (58)
33 .HV/lV transformer 4 (58)
34.lV switchboard 2 (58)
35.Azimuth thruster 1
36.Tunnel thruster 2
37.Azimuth thruster 3
38.Azimuth thruster 4 (PS)
39.Azimuth thruster 5 (58)
lil3'rt40.Azimuth thruster 6 (Cl)

EM/HARBOUR GEN.SET 'vi.

PNEUMATIC STARTER AND
HYDRAULIC EMERGENCY
STARTER

'vIHISTLE

'vIATER
DRAIN

ME3

Start air compressors are locat

ed in each engine room and start

automatica lly.

Electric power for the compressors

comes from different LV switch

boards through different HV/LV

tran sformers from t wo HV switch
boards all located in the same en
gine room .

MEl

ME2

STARTING AIR PS

SERVICE AIR

STARTING AIR COMPRESSOR

SERVICE AIR COMPRESSOR

I------l

,-----1
I ~-

I~

SERVICE AIR
VESSEL 2000 L t

IPS! ~ I

I~I
L_____ J

IL -30______
BAR
_
60 NM3/H @ 30 BAR

600 M3/H

1000 Ltr

DRAIN
TO BILGE

I.

T
NO

1000 Ltr

I
I

~-: 10

BAR _

__

~NO

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I~_..J
30

-->

L3~~

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I
I
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I

10 BAR

60 NM3/H @ 30 BAR

I~
r -PS
.

DRAIN
, TO BILGE

J~o

,----1

1l

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I

--

I'

10 BAR

I ~_..J
_

NO

SERVICE AIR
VESSEL 2000 L i

L
I

____ ~
SERVICE AIR COMPRESSOR

STARTING AIR COMPRESSOR

SERVICE AIR

STARTING AIR SB
ME4

STARTING, SERVICE AIR

ME6

ME5

'vIORKING AIR

Work air compressor

'WORKING AIR
:O~Eg~E~~ROUGH

INLETCHEST PS
BLOW THROUGH INLETCHEST FWD
BLOW THROUGH INLETPIPE AFT
QUICK CONN. PS
CONN. NEAR SEWAGE UNIT
RINGLINE QUICK CONN:S AFT

CONTROL AIR
VESSEL 1000 L tr

~1

.------t2xJ..--_,

------

.....

CONTROL
AIR DRYER

CONTROL AIR

--t-1---------

DRAIN
TO BILGE

----------------------.1

...J

I -CONSUMERS,
PNEUM. CONTROLLED VALVES
-REMOTE TANK SOUNDING
I - SELFPR. EJECTORS PUMPS
I -- FD
SEPARATORS PS
LO SEPARATORS PS
EXP. TKS THRUSTERS FWD
I - QUICK CONN. ROV WORKSH.PS

t -

FIRE FLAPS
- CONN. NEAR HYDROPH. VESSEL
- CONN. PIPELAYING EQUIPMENT

MAIN ENG.ROOM PS

:~ -------------------------i:~---------MAIN ENG,ROOM SB
I

I
I

------~----------------I

SERVICE AIR
VESSEL 1000 L tr

t.8'

.---~--_,

______ ll~A~~,

0~1

J:

CONSUMERS,
- PNEUM. CONTROLLED VALVES
- REMOTE TANK SOUNDING
- SELFPR. EJECTORS PUMPS
- FO SEPARATORS SB
- LO SEPARATORS SB
- EXP. TKS THRUSTERS AFT
- QUICK CONN. ROV WORKSH.SB
- OILY BILGEW. SEPARATOR
- CONN. PIPELAYING EQUIPMENT

I~ ~--LJ----------

~ -I7H ~~~ I~~.;ER It:O:J-'

CONTROL AIR

'WORKING AIR
CONSUMERS,
- BLOW THROUGH INLETCHEST SB
- QUICK CONN. SB
- RINGLINE QUICK CONN:S AFT

DRAIN
, TO BILGE

Two sea water cooling pumps.

HIGH
CHEST

SEA"'.
LIFT
PUMP

MOON
POOL

CAROUSEL
HOLD

FIFI

PUMP2

HIGH
CHEST

The seawater system consists of two pumps provided

with an automatic standby starting system . Failure of
a running pump will cause automatic starting of the
standby pump.
Each seawater system supplies cooli ng water to the
individual heat exchangers of the main generator
sets in that engine room as well as cooling water
to the two heat exchangers serving the freshwater
system.

PS DRYDOCK
CONNECTION

ME COOL.ERS PS
3x50Y. CAPACITY

Two freshwater cooling

coolers.
Each cooler has the ca
pacity of cooling three
main engines.

J-
L_

AUX COOLERS PS
2xl00Y. CAPACITY

F"'D
CHEST

-FOULING SYSTEM
ACH INLETCHEST

1.

AUX CDOLERS SB
2xl00y' CAPACITY

ME COOL.ERS SB
3x50Y. CAPACITY

FEED"'. P.
RO UNITS

'"'Ul......... r..l" I J.UI .... ~

r-~

DECKTOOLS

-l
1

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~ ~

FREQ.CONV.
THRUST. SB

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SELECT
AFT L T CIRCUIT
CONNECTED TO
PS DR SB
MAIN CIRCUIT

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ii

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PROP.ROOM PS

f\/

NOTE. THE DIVISION OF THE MAIN PS CIRCUIT, MAIN SB CIRCUIT,

AFT CIRCUIT AND F....D CIRCUIT IS ALSO DETERMINED BY THE
DIVISIONS OF THE ELECTRICAL PO....ER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.

E COOLIERS PS
)(507. CAPACITY
ME PSI

~0~,

ME PS2

~0~-f

ME PS3

I
I

~0~-f

...:;

EXP.
TK.PS

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t.:l<l:
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~
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w~

..... w
c~

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AUX SBI
AUX SB2

~h:7'Q~J

: COOLERS PS
OOY. CAPACITY

200 M3/H @ 3,2 BAR

2x RUNNING, Ix St.By
AUX l T FIJD PS, 3x 50)(

<l:

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cu
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co:

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~::::>

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HVAC
CONDENSOR1

~I

::LI

IW
WO:

HVAC
CONDENSOR2

...:;'
~

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AUX L T FIJD SB, 3x 507.

200 M3/H @ 3,2 BAR
2x RUNNING, Ix St.By

( COOLERS SB
00r. CAPACITY

iil
<l:

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cu

b~

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IW

W~

SELECT
FIJD CIRCUIT
CONNECTED TO
PS DR SB
MAIN CIRCUIT

~~~l

AUX SB1
AUX SB2

SETPDINT 3S"C,
(BUT FCIJ=3S"C
IJHEN SCIJ=32"C)

~~~j

I
I

r- I

ME SB1

~~~-f
ME SB2

ME SB3

~~~-f
~~~...J

I
I
I
I

EXP.
TK.SB
I
.....

::::>

: CCOllERS SB
(507. CAPACITY
~

The freshwater service system is executed per engine

room each with 3 50% pumps supplied from switch
boards. The pumps are provided with an automatic
standby starting system that starts the third pump
when one of the two running pumps fails. The fresh
water service system is also used for the thruster
cooling systems .
The thruster cooling circu its are arranged in the same

19. Automatic control systems

way as the electric power circuits for the thruster mo

tors. Thus, thruster 4 which is powered by the 58

switchboard has freshwater cooling from the 58 en

gine room .

Thruster 5 also from 58 and thruster 6 from P5.

Consequently, a fai lure in an engine room freshwater

cooling system can cause failure only of the cooling of

the thrusters supplied from that engine room .

EACH COOLER
50~ TOTAL LOAD
ME PS1

r--

COOLIJ.

EXP.TK

r~r;lI

I
I

I
~'

I ME PS2
I

L~~~-1
I ~ I

\ : I

I ME PS3
I

r~0~I

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I I,

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~.., I

II'

MGO CIJIJLERl

~..J

, I

I \I

AUX PS2

L~0~..J

I \

-~ ao.c

-i:f--

t
I

I,

----+-,

AUX PSt

r~0~1
I
I

/1\

~t
cv

r-....J

,II

II,

\:1

\ I I

I I ,

.- '

FOR SCIJ DIAGRAM

SEE DIAGR. 75001pOt

I
I

L_I __
I

L_

Engine room PS

l. ,

The main engine freshwa

ter systems have engine
driven pumps .
The system is duplicated
per engine room.
One engine room is shown,
the other engine room is
identical.

ME PS AFT
.-------~-----------------~

I
I

______ _

~I>l-J

I...-.~

GENERATOR

LT.CH.AIR
405 k\rl

LD CDDLER~
377 k\rl

\rIARTSILA 7L32, 3360 kW' @ 720 RPM

I---i:f::]

'.

ME PS F'w'Dl

------------------------------------,

r ~ ~ ~ I>l-,

PREHEATER

-----------------~

DI<1h-(I~

GENERATOR

I---i:f::].

'

JACKET
535 k\rl

HT.CH.AIR
485 k\rl

I
~ ~~
T J

LT.CH.AIR
405 k\rl

W'ARTSILA 7L32. 3360 kW' @ 720 RPM

ME PS F'w'D2
------------------~----------------,

r ~ ~ ~ I>l-,

PREHEATER

:17

EL

""'." I

~.J

------------------~

")it

GENERATOR

I---i:f::]

PS Engine room

19. Automatic control systems

'.

I>l-

I
I

LT.CH.AIR
405 k\rl

' W'ARTSILA 7L32. 3360 kW' @ 720 RPM

r---------------------------,
I

-,I

~~o--

I
I

_1
1

~_

I'-'"
I
I

'JARTSILA 7L32, 3380 klJ @ 720 RPM

41-0-

I
I
~

~,G

l~

MGO COOLER

~LT

t-- --...1J- - FC'J

r-

.J

_.J

L _________ _

INDEPENDANT
MGO SUPPLY
('JHEN BOOSTER
UNIT FAILURE>

MGO
COOLER

TO SLUDGE T

I
~
I
I
:2
I
AUTOMATIC
I
BACKFLUSH
FILTER
I
I
BOOSTER HEATERS
2x 100r. EACH
IL__________________________________
_
BOOSTER UNIT PS

BOOSTER UNIT SB

I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I

BOOSTER HEATERS
2x 100r. EACH

AUTOMATIC
BACKFLUSH
FILTER

TH.DIL

:2
~

TO SLUDGE T
MGO
COOLER

INDEPENDANT
MGO SUPPLY
('JHEN BOOSTER
UNIT FAILURE)

r*GI
I

r---------
~Vim

J~

'JARTSILA 7L32, 3380 klJ @ 720 RPM

I'-'" -

'JARTSILA 7L32, 3380 klJ @ 720 RPM

-~
'JARTSILA 7L32, 3380 klJ @ 720 RPM

-~--~~---I

I:

-1
I

~~O--

t-

-,

L _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .J

MLTFC'J
MGO COOLER

Fuel oil is supplied to the diesel engines out

of tanks in the engine room, via fue l oil ser
vice units (heating, viscosity control) which
have their electric supply from the low voltage
switchboards.

DECK4

SERVICE
TK MGO PS

SETTLING
TK MGO PS

However, when the ship is operating on DP, the

diesels are runn ing on gasoil, and not on heavy
fuel. The FMEA is drawn op for the DP mode.
The fuel oil service units, with the heating sys
tem, are therefore not part of the FMEA.

SERVICE
TK IFO PS

MDO DAY TANK

~
EM/HARB,ENG,

.------~

~O

DECK3

_I_ _ _ _ _ -L
:

N~

"

DECK4
----

~-----_~~--L_,

I
I
I
I

----------1
~I

MDO DAY TANK

SETTLING

TK IFO PS

-~

INCINERATOR

FEEDERPUMPS
2xl00:'., Ix St,By

r-

-1 __ ::..J _ _ DECK4
CHANGE OVER
IFO/MDO

1- - - - - - - - - - -

ENGINE ROOM PS

NC

1------------------- --------------------------------------
~

;- - - - - - - - . : - - 1 .
FEEDERPUMPS
2xl00:'., 1)( St,By

ENGINE ROOM SB

CHANGE OVER
IFO/MDO

~f

r~
I I
I I

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ..JI

-~

I i-
I
rI II
I II
II
'-------~~--r_-...J II
2x SUCTION
Ncl-r
-' I
FOR REDUNDANCY'\. '" '" '"
..,...,
I
DECK3
I
_ _ .JI

!/~ THERMAL OIL

I'....

HEATER

---=--=.1-+~
I I

-SETTLING

TK IFO SB

LI

!/~ THERMAL OIL

I'....

HEATER

"r

DECK4

SERVICE
TK MGO PS

SETTLING
TK MGO PS

- -

MDO LINES
IFO LINES, TRACED AND INSULATED

SERVICE

TK IFO SB

- TYPE OF FUEL, MGO lIFO <180 cSt @ 50'C)

- SEE 72,003pOI FOR FO SEPARATOR SYSTEM
- SEE 72,004pOl FOR OVERFLO\rl SYSTEM

G
GEN1

GEN2

GEN3

GEN4

GENS~

GEN6

~
3600kVA ~

3600 kVA

/:--,--~---: !...

MSBSB

6,6kV
I

/'

2400KW
RETRACTABLE

EM GEN

LTl

LT2

LT3

0)

187SkVA

Y.

l'

~402

,,,MW

ASB PS 230V

"j

'"

1. Retractable azimuth thruster room 1

2. Tunnel thruster room 2
3. Retractable azimuth thruster room 3
4 . Not used
5. Not used
6. Engine room P5 1
7. Engine room 58 2
S. HV Switchboard room 1 (PS)
9. HV Switchboard room 2 (S8)
10. Not used
11. LV switchboard room 1 (PS)
12.LV Switchboard room 2 (S8)
13.Not used
14.Not used
lS.Not used
16.Azimuth thruster room 4 (PS)
17.Azimuth thruster room 5 (S8)
lS.Azimuth thruster room 6 (CL)
19.Not used
20 .Not used
21. Diesel generator 1
22.Diesel generator 2
23. Diesel generator 3
24. Diesel generator 4
25.Diesel generator S
26. Diesel generator 6
27 .HV switchboard 1 (P5)
2S.HV switchboard 2 (S8)
29.HV/LV transformer 1 (PS)
30.HV/LV transformer 2 (PS)
31. LV switchboard 1 (PS)
32.HV/LV transformer 3 (58)
33.HV/LV transformer 4 (S8)
34. LV switchboard 2 (S8)
35.Azimuth thruster 1
36.Tunnel thruster 2

154

~'>I03

Ym

')

ESB

37.Azimuth
3S.Azimuth
39.Azimuth
40.Azimuth

LT4

thruster
thruster
thruster
thruster

'i

3
4 (PS)
5 (S8)
6 (CL)

See layouts on previous pages for

location of equipment.
/

.ut
"

')

ASB SB

The one- line diagram above shows

the main electrical power arrange
ment of the subject vessel.
The bus tie breakers in the main
switchboards (S) and (9) can be
open/closed to connect the genera
tors two by two to different switch
boards in three engine rooms.
A single failure would then result in
a 33 per cent loss of capacity and
the vessel would be able to con
tinue to operate.

I i
"'(t

Frequency converter

L-Drive aft thruster

16

All supporting systems for the die

sel engines and thrusters should be

carefully assessed to ensure these

are available with the primary sup

plies.

The two 24 DC supplies have to be

from different sources and a com

mon failure must not cause failure

of more than one engine.

Most HV switchgear requires an ex

ternal power supply to close and

open the circuit breakers.

This is essentially different from LV

switchgear where no-volt coils in

the circuit breakers arrange for time

delayed tripping at under-voltage.

These circuits have to be included

in the FMEA.

It is helpful to predetermine the lo

cation of the auxiliaries, the power
for lubrication, pitch and direction
hydraulics and all the control volt
ages.
It is useless to design a completely
redundant power supply system for
thrusters operated by a single pow
ered control circuit.
It is not allowed to get the main
power from one engine room and
the control power from the other, as
failure of either engine room would
stop operation.
In this layout there are two engine
rooms, with individual air, fuel,
freshwater and seawater systems
with fewer LV switchgear sections
than in the HV systems.

The most disastrous result of a sin

gle failure is the failure of a com

plete HV switchboard and the as

sociated LV switchboards resulting

in a 50% reduction of propulsion

capacity.

When keeping the position of the

vessel is essential, such as during

operations in the vicinity of offshore

platforms, the operator may not

use more than 50% of the available

power.

If environmental conditions require

more, the work must be stopped

and the position abandoned .

Abandon and recovery wire of the pipe laying installation

Alarm and monitoring sys

tems are intended to monitor
and register automatically all
the essential parameters of the
installation and display any ab
normalities that have occurred.
It saves time-consuming watch
keeping rounds, registers more
information accurately, but is
certainly no substitute for an
engineer who, on his inspection
round in the engine room, may
find a small leak in a flange that
can turn into a larger problem .

Inland waterway ships

The requirements for alarm and

monitoring systems vary with the
service of the vessel and associ
ated notation, from inland water
way service with manned engine
room notation or coastal service,
to unrestricted service with larger
engine ratings and UMS notation.
1. Alarm and monitoring display
2. VHF
3. Propulsion control handle
4. Closed circuit TV
5. Cargo tank level display
6. Rudder controls
7. Bow thruster control
8. Radar display (2)
9. Miscellaneous navigation instru
ments such as: Gyrocompass,
Rate of turn indicator, etc.
10. Mouse for radars and electronic
charts
11. Engine monitoring display

List of alarms for an inland waterway tanker.

Steering Console Inland Waterway tanker

Seagoing ships

Alarm and monitoring systems

are available in all sorts and sizes,
starting from a small self-contained
unit for 10 digital alarms with a
common output for a group alarm
and an audible alarm with accept
and reset facilities.
Depending on the size and wheth
er it is "manned" or "unmanned",
larger systems are often composed
of distributed input units linked
together by a redundant network
These can also send group alarms
to the bridge instructing the bridge
crew to reduce power or warning
them of an automatic shutdown of
the propulsion system.
Usually, more complex systems
have a graphic display with all
kinds of software to analyze re
trieved data.
The engineer's logbook can be au
tomatically generated, ready to be
signed .
The engine room alarm and moni
toring system includes the duty en
gineer's selection system with units
in the engineers' cabins and the
engineer's safety patrol system.
This is a sort of egg-boiling clock,
counting 27 minutes after the en
gineer enters the engine room or
touches any button .
It initiates an alarm in the engine
room and engine control room,
which must be cancelled by the en
gineer within 3 minutes.
Otherwise, the system concludes
that the engineer has a problem
and initiates a general engineer's
call.

On the right is an example of mini

mum lists of alarms

1. Main engine
2. Gearbox
3. PTa generator
4. Oil distribution
box
5. Controllable pitch
propeller
6. Main engine lubri
cating pumps
7. Gearbox lubricat
ing pumps
8. Propeller hydrau
lic pump
9. Turbo blower
lO.Casing over fuel
system (fire pre
vention

Mimic propulson
system

Fuel Rack

100%

Charger
0.00
0.00
0,00
0.00
-0.00

Charge air cooler

In
,DP
Out
Out

0.00
O.QO
0.00
0.00

Fuel return
rromenglne
SwHched on MGO

FU81, Rack

1''

1
::00:

011
011
Air

0;00
0.00,
0.00'
0.00

Water

In
In',
,Out

IMi@i.

~~

Enliine
0.00,
0.00'
0.00

0.00'
0.00

8.'11

(iCXiCIii3 , IJOClC m~

0.00

[~IS-=P:f=C"='~~~b=====-~~
';~;I---!~
T

.!!I!LJ

Trailing
Prnpeller clutclf
Dioengeged

0.00

o
'CPP

fAIL@mm

lSI

0~~ lSI
fAIL

Turning gear
Start procedure
Engine
Stopped by
S'e lektor switch

fAIL

O.OU I
..!!:!LJ

1. Diesel engine
Governor
Turbo charger
Generator
Sump tank
Ventilator for generator cooling
Output power cables
Control panel

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

SCADA: Supervisory Control

And Data Acquisition.

Auxiliary engine (generator set) and SCADA display of same engine.

. ...
,

tU,.41

All

..,

Screens

.IEnglne Is ,unnlng

.ICont,ol system mode

.ITurnlng gea, engaged

ilstop blJ sarety system
!IStop rallu,e

In

--

fuel return

l.U. P,... IHT Wat.,Tmpl Emerl SD I Common so

False

Power

11 0.00

I ,~~c:::.ut

0.00
0.00

[;, 0.00
starting Air

stopping Air

~~@
'"

IOveffll.ub.A.E:m

~
~

Colour Codes for

piping systems

Piping systems in engine rooms are

often colour coded to identify the
contents of the pipes
For easy reference, these codes
are also used in some of the lists of
alarms and measuring points.

MGO
~
HFO
..... Overflow

Fuel feeder
pump.

AutoflHer

Fue~f1ow

fWEmodule

comrri,on alarm
WI'alerm
common alarm

0.00

-.mill

Fe.e dpump
WImodule

MIXING
TANK
lV'YI4

Water content
meter

lV'YI-3

VI.comor

Fualmlll

Fuel heater.

Fuel booeter
pumps

To Sap ludge.
tonk 54

This chapter describes the

standard navigation and nautical
package mandatory for a ship
for unrestricted service.
Navigation has changed enor
mously with the introduction of
the global positioning system
(GPS). To determine the posi
tion of a ship the sextant was for
many years the tool to use. As
this method uses visual orienta
tion to the stars, planets, sun
and moon weather conditions
often hindered its use.
With satellites and sophisticated
computer systems navigation
has evolved to an accurate all
weather tool.

1
1.1

Bridge equipment.
Compass systems

1.1.1 Magnetic compass

From 150 GT upwards all ships
shall be fitted with a steering com
pass.

The magnetic compass is the old

est and simplest. The system is us
ing the earth magnetism.
Disadvantage is, that the direction
of the magnetic field of the earth is
different from the direction of the
earth's axis of rotation.
The south pole of a magnetic bar,
when suspended from a string free
in the air, will point at the earth's
magnetic north pole.
A magnetic standard compass is
still required for all ships.
Magnetic compasses indicate the
direction to the magnetic north
pole, which is not located at the
geographical north pole, but at
present some 100 miles away.

The magnetic standard compass and the compensation engineer at work

The location of the magnetic north

pole changes continuously.
The magnetism, when observed on
board of a ship, is influenced by the
steel of the ship itself.
The compass has therefore to be
calibrated to compensate for the
magnetic field of the ship itself,
when commissioned, and eventu
ally later, when deviations are be
coming too high.
The compass is also influenced by
the cargo, when this is sensitive for
magnetism.

,""
-

__

"'-'-

~t:.lt

'

.,.

A view on the bridge

1.1.2 Gyrocompass
Ships of 500 GT and upwards have

to be fitted with a gyrocompass.

There are 3 different types of gyro

compasses:

- Liquid

- Dry

- Fibre optic.

The gyrocompass depends contra

ry to the magnetic compass, on the

earth's angular velocity, as it pOints

itself to the earth's axis of rotation.

The gyrocompass consists es

sentially of a gyroscope, which,

when spinning at a sufficiently high

speed will have its axis maintain

ing a constant direction in space,

regardless of how the supporting

rings are tilted or turned.

This property is known as the rigid

ity in space.

Magnetic forces do not have influ

ence on the maintained direction.

The gyrocompass is installed in a

binnacle, where the spinner is in

stalled inside a ball shaped housing.

This ball floats in a special liquid,

with a specific gravity keeping the

ball vertically accurately inside its

surrounding housing to allow the

spinner to seek its direction in

space.

Inside the floating ball, an electric

motor is installed, with the rotor as

the gyro-spinner.

Electric contacts are ensured by so

phisticated sliding devices.

When suitable controls are applied,

the axis of the gyroscope seeks the

direction of the true north.

Because of the rotation of the

earth, the axis of the gyro appears

to move, although maintaining its

direction in space.

This motion is a combination of drift

and tilt, together the apparent mo

tion . Drift is the horizontal devia

tion from the selected direction in

space, due to the earth's rotation.

The magnitude and direction of

drift is depending on the latitude.

By creating friction, which is al

ready there from the liquid the ball

floats in, the axis pOints itself in the

direction of the earth's axis, i.e. in

the direction of the true north.

Tilting is a result of the latitude.

When at the equator, the direction

of the axis is the same as to the

horizon.

When at higher latitude, the direc

tion to a point above the north pole

of the earth results in a vertical an

gie with the horizontal.

This can be adjusted by gravity, i.e.

by a weight or a system with ad

justable floats in mercury.

Added weights give the ball a posi

tion parallel to the horizon.

Settings depend on the actual lati

tude.

The ship's speed is producing an

other deviation.

The gyro will adjust itself rectan

gularly to the resultant of the true

course of the vessel and the east

going direction of the earth.

The instrument itself also has some

constant deviation .

Above deviations are corrected by

various electronic devices.

The binnacle is normally installed

in a technical room near the wheel

house of the ship.

Often at a lower deck, to reduce

transversal forces due to the ship's

movement.

At various places repeaters are in

stalled, showing the directional in

formation wanted for navigation (or

other purposes).

Normally at the steering position,

at both bridge wings, sometimes

near the magnetic compass for

easy calibration of that compass.

The principle of the dry gyro is the

same as of the liquid gyro. How

ever, the big advantage is there is

no maintenance required during its

MTBF (mean time between failure).

1.1.3 Fiberoptic Gyrocompass

The last development of the gyro
principle, also electrical, is the
Fiberoptic Gyrocompass.
This is a complete solid unit, which
has no rotating or other moving
parts. It is based on a laser beam
sent into a horizontal glassfibre
coil, split in two halves when enter
ing the coil.
One half goes left, the other half
right.
When the coil has not turned, both
beams return at the entering point
at the same moment.
If the coil has turned, the beams do
not return at the starting point at
the same time, resulting in a phase
difference .
Three coils at the x, y and z axis,
enable the calculation of the true
north .
The device is made in solid state
and needs only an short settling
time.
1.1.4 Fluxgate compass
A fully electrical compass is the

Fluxgate compass.

Two coils under 90 produce an

electric current by the magnetic

flux passing through the coils.

From the difference in measured

current the direction of the mag

netic north can be calculated.

1.2

A gyrocompass opened up. The grey cylinder in the center contains the
gyro spinner. Cooling is provided by liquid.
.vertic~l

Off-Course Alarm

When a ship, whilst on passage

changes course unwanted, an
alarm has to sound.
Often this is a device coupled to the
gyro.
Also the magnetic compass must
be used for this purpose.
Allowed degrees off course are to
be set. When coupled to the gyro
this can be done automatically.

Ii North Pole

" "t
I with pendulosl y

~,~ ~
'~
" " W-it,~
+

-=. d

'

"

Circular line shows the apparent

motion of the axis of a gyroscope

around the pole star in the absence

of a pendulous mass.

The addition of the pendulous mass

(lower drawing) converts the circu

lar motion into an ellipse; the el

lipse can then be damped out and

the gyroscope becomes a gyrocom

pass pointing to true north.

21, Nautical equipment

j ,. . . . . . .

.;,t""",,,-

I
r;,

' N' .

. . ' .'

' . - , .. ' .

p'endulous

..

"

m~ss

"
:," .: ~nd d,
,', pendU1Psi
,t y
:,!mpmg

. :

'horizcinta,~

1.3

Radar

A RADAR (Radio Detection and

Ranging) with automatic plotting

(ARPA) function and rotating trans

mitting/receiving aerial, usually

the X- band (frequency 8-12 GHz).

For ships bigger than 3000 GT a

second radar has to be provided,

usually an S-band radar in the fre

quency range of 3-4 GHz.

The reason to select two radars

with different frequency bands is

their different capabilities to cope

with the environmental conditions

such as fog, rain, sea clutter.

A radar installation comprises a

transmitter/receiver, and a rotating

antenna.

A display shows the outcome.

The transmitter/receiver is a box

mounted directly under the an

tenna.

The antenna or scanner, is installed

in the radar mast, usually on top of

the wheelhouse.

A cruise vessel is moored alongside a jetty. The above picture shows the
real situation. Below the same location as seen on the radar screen.

The scanner is rotating.

A very short pulse is sent from the

raytube to the scanner mirrors and

leaves the scanner as a narrow

beam. When this beam bounces on

an object, part of it can be received

in the scanner.

From the timespan between send

ing and receiving, the distance to

the object can be calculated.

The direction is given by the posi

tion of the scanner, relative to the

ship's centerline.

The bounced pulse is seen as a dot

on the display.

The reach of the radar is deter

mined by the height of the scanner

and the height of the target.

Sensible precautions
If radar equipment is to be
worked with under power in
port, sensible precautions would
include ensuring that:
- no one is close to the scan
ner, i.e. within a few metres,
the scanner is rotating or if
the work requires the scan
ner to be stationary, that it
is directed to unoccupied ar
eas, e.g. out to sea,
- no one looks directly into the
emission side of a slotted
wave guide (open box type)
scanner,

no one isabl e to position

themselves between the out
put horn of the transmitter
and the reflector of larger
scanners,
the risk of being hit by a ro
tating scanner is not over

looked if work close to the

installation is necessary.

Any work carried out on such

equipment should be carried out
by competent persons, operating a
safe system of work, so that they
put neither themselves nor others
at risk.

1.4 Global Positioning

System, GPS
GPS is simple to use and so reliable

that nearly all ships, from small

yachts to the largest ships at sea,

are fitted with one or more GPS re

ceivers.,

GPS is an independent auto-posi

tion fixing system, with omnidi

rectional aerial. The input data are

produced by satellites.

The system was originally designed

for the US defence department but

has been made available for civil

ian use.

Europe is working on an alternative

independent system, Galileo.

DGPS or Differential Global Posi

tioning System, is a more accu

rate GPS, by the installation of an

additional signal from a reference

transmitter. The location of this

transmitter is accurately known, so

improving the outcome of the posi

tion calculation. Due to the limited

reach of this additional transmitter,

this is a local improvement.

Global positioning systems operate

on low power signals, transmitted
by a large number of satellites,
which orbit the earth at an altitude
of 20,000 kilometres.

Normally there is input from some

8 satellites at every moment.

This (D)GPS gives not only the ac

tual position in coordinates, but
when the receiver (the ship) is
moving, it calculates also speed
and course over the ground.
1.5 Autopilot
1.5.1 Automatic course function
Automatic pilots are control devic
es that compare the actual course
on the gyrocompass with the set
course, and take corrective meas
ures if the actual course is deviating
from the set course. Most of these
control devices are now adaptive,
which means that it adapts to the
ship's characteristics by applying
minimum rudder angle to get back
to the set course. Autopilots can be
adjusted for gain, maximum rudder
angle and maximum rate of turn.
The modern autopilots are so sen
sitive that they operate the rudder
at a minimum deviation of the set
course before the helmsman would
notice. This way steering a more
straight course than a helmsman
would do. A straighter course saves
fuel and time.

GPS display

1.5.2 Autotrack function

GPS positioning giving course and
speed via ECDIS or GPS over the
bottom makes it possible to steer
according to a planned track.
Way pOints can be added and at the
way pOints the vessel will slowly
turn to the next track, after a warn
ing and being acknowledged.

1. Gyro repeater
2. Steering mode selector switch
3. Autopilot
4. Follow-up steering wheel
5. Non-follow-up steering wheel
6. Steering-gear controls and
alarms
7. Rudder angle indicators (twin
rudders)
8. Course selector

1.6

Speed and Distance (Log)

On ships over 500 GT the speed

and distance through the water has
to be measured.
One log with speed and distance
indication through the water has
to be installed. This can be for in
stance an electromagnetic log. In
shallow water the so-called Doppler
log can measure speed through the
water and over the ground, water
track or ground track .
This can be chosen at the display.
Dual-axis logs measure speed in
forward and aft direction as well as
transverse movements .
The latter for very large ships
(tankers, bulkcarriers), to control
the impact forces on the jetty dur
ing mooring.

1. 7

Doppler log display showing speed in bottom track mode and sideways
speed bow and stern

Rudder angle indicator

The physical position of the rud

der has to be shown on a display.
Normally this is displayed on a
deckhead-mounted indicator vis
ible from everywhere in the wheel
house.

1.8

Rate of turn indicator

Rate of Turn Indicator has to be in

stalled on ships of 50,000 GT and
upwards. The rate of turn is impor
tant for large ships, to determine
the time needed to come to a de
cided course.
In advance of a turn, the helm has
to be moved in the position to get
the ship turning. Especially large
ships need time to start to react.
In the bridge console there are dis
plays for RPM and turning direction
of the propeller. Or the pitch in case
of a controllable-pitch propeller.
Displays are also installed on the
bridgewings, as these parameters
are very important during manoeu
vring and mooring.

1.9

Wind and sound

Ships with an enclosed wheelhouse,

which are vulnerable to wind during
manoeuvring, are to be fitted with
a wind indicator and a sound recep
tion system. The latter consists of
microphones outside and a speaker
system inside enabling to establish
the incoming direction of the out
side sound.

Echosounder display showing depth under the keel

1.10 Echosounder

1.11 Daylight Signal Lamp

The water depth under the ship is

measured with an echosounder.
A transducer in the ship's bottom
sends a sound pulse downward,
and receives the bounced pulse.
The distance between ship's bot
tom and seabed can be calculated
from the time between sending and
receiving.
The speed of the pulse through the
water is more or less constant. Ad
justment settings can be made for
the ship's draft. An alarm can be
set at any depth below the trans
ducer. The sent sound beam has a
conical shape, with the top of the
cone at the transducer.

All ships over 150 GT, must have a

daylight Signal lamp. The source of
electric power has to be independ
ent of the main power supplied to
the wheelhouse equipment. Often
an ordinary battery is used .

1.12 Navigation Lights panel

In the wheelhouse an alarm and
indication panel is to be installed
to control and monitor the naviga
tion lights. Most of the time next to
this panel is a control panel for the
signal lights like NUC (Not Under
Command) lights.

r'1

HANGE

1.13 Voyage Data Recorder

3 NM

RINGS

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CALL SIGN
ZM.

SI;ND SAFElY MESSM

TARGErDATA
ID
BRG
RNG

21. Nautical equipment

HOMZ

358.7
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TRAILS 6 min T
VECTOR 6 min T
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Above the AIS displayed on the radar screen.

Below the ECDIS display of the same area.
The ship is displayed on both screens

1.14 Electronic Chart Display.

(Ecdis)
Instead of paper charts, the infor
mation is displayed on a comput
er screen . On this screen also the
ship's position is shown.
The charts can be raster-type,
which means that they are scanned
paper charts, or vector type, fully
digital. The last type has advan
tages.
The electronic chart can be com
bined with AIS and Radar, this
means that all information can be
made visible on one screen.
Updates of the charts are carried
out digitally.
A second system has to be provid
ed for back-up. Paper charts also
can be the back-up, but this means
that they have to be corrected.
Raster-type charts are not ap
proved for paperless sailing

GPS2

VIDEO OFF

Passenger ships and ships other

than passenger ships of 3000 gross

tonnage and upwards constructed

on or after 1 July 2002 must car

ry voyage data recorders (VOR,

Black Box) to assist in accident

investigations.

Details can be found in SOLAS.

Such a unit consists of a data ac

quisition unit, acquiring all neces

sary data from the various instru

ments and a data capsule.

The device records information re

garding course, speed, communi

cation, alarms, alterations, engine

particulars and what has been said

in the wheelhouse.

Data can, if wanted, be transmitted

to the shorebase of the vessel.

Like the black boxes carried on air

craft, VDRs enable accident inves

tigators to review procedures and

instructions in the moments before

an incident and help to identify the

cause of any accident.

The data acquisition cabinet is nor

mally installed in or near the wheel

house, the data capsule on the

wheelhouse top.

The latter has to be installed so,

that it floats up in case the ship

sinks.

The device has to be tested yearly

by an approved company.

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21

----'

BRIDGE WITH ONE PERSON ON WATCH

Ships can have an optional class

notation for optimizing the environ
ment on the bridge for navigational
tasks including periodic operation
of the ship under the supervision

of a sing le watch keeper. The re

lated requirements are in addition
to those applicable in other parts
of the Rules. The requirements are
based on the understanding that
~~;---

c::::

--

the International Regulations for

Preventing Collisions at Sea and all
other relevant regulations relating
to Radio Communication and Safe
ty of Navigation are complied with.
GPS

VHF

Final Recording Modlum

MUlTIPILOT 11xxT

MULTIPILOT 11xxT

CONNINGPILOT 1100

Minimum Keyboard and

Display Unll (MKD)
o. g. Radarpllot
-Mullipilot
Chartpllot

~ne ~tiotI

:U ,",,'n;1

Display and

~nPtoltctloft$Jt'Mn

Control Unit

TRACKPILOT 1100

ELEC'~~~~~ UNIT
Extemal Sensor Interfaces

SATCOM 1)

.. U

1)

VOR.Replay Slation

..

CHARTPiLOT r,00"Op "" ........ - .. .. - ..

u
.... .........

1. Gyro System

1. Gyro System
2. Position Sensor 1

2. Position Sensor 1
3. Position Sensor 2
4. Position Sensor 3
5. Log 1

3. Position Sensor 2
4. Position Sensor 3
5. Log 1
6. Log 2
7. Echosounder
8. Anemometer
9. Bridge Alarm System

'-

6. Log 2
7. Echosounder
8. Anemometer
9. Bridge Alarm System

Li

Sensor Data to Radar-IMultl

pilot Interconnection Box,

Redundancy
Sensor Data to Rad.r..{Multl

e.g. for Interface Connections

of NaVigation Sensors
or -.aub.y.toms

pilot Int8rconnecllon Bolt,

o,g. for Interlaea Connections
of Navigation Senaor.
or .subsystems

Digitizer

CHARTPILOT

ELECTRONIC UNIT

Cable Connection

Unit

One-line diagram. Intregrated navigation and command system.

All functions can be carried out from every workstation

The next step up, and a consequen

tial development is the Integrated
Bridge.
Today's state of the art wheelhous
es are suitable for operation and
watchkeeping by one person only.
Apart from wheelhouse layout re
quirements with respect to an all
around view, also the view from
the operator positions needs to be
looked at. On a standard bridge the
view from the conning position is
more important than the view from
the steering position. The conning
position is for the officer on watch,
the man behind the wheel follows
the orders from the officer on watch.
A workstation for navigation needs
to contain the following facilities:
Two independent radars, one in
X-band, one in S-band, one of
them with ARPA function
Indicators from two independent

autopositioning fixing systems,

Echosounder with shallow depth
warning,
Log with speed and distance in
dication, speed in water for the
ARPA function,
Speed over bottom for autotrack
function,
Gyrocompass display,
Magnetic compass display,
Wind speed and direction indica
tor for ships sensitive to wind,
Steering controls and indicators,
Main propulsion and thruster
controls.
Internal communication systems
VHF radiotelephones
Clock
Window wipers and clear view
screen controls
Navigation light controls and
alarms
Whistle controls
Decklighting controls

This list shall be completed with

additional eqUipment as required
for the special purpose of the ship,
when applicable.
A
voyage-planning
workstation
shall be provided with a chart ta
ble with instruments, position fixing
systems and time indication.
A navigation alarm system shall be
fitted consisting of following alarms:
Closest point of approach from
ARPA radar,
Shallow water warning from
echosounder,
Off-course alarm from a direc
tional device,
Navigation light failure,
Power failure to the navigation
and nautical supply panels.
Any of these alarms has to be ac
cepted by the watch keeper within 1
minute.

1. Wind
2. Speed (speed over
ground)
3. Course record
4. Rate of turn
5. Heading
6. Course
7. Speed (speed through wa
ter)
8. Propulsion information
9. Rudder positions
10.Voyage planning
11. Position

Display on conning position.

!ConnIng position
I

22,5-

Also the watchkeeper safety timer

(11 minutes) has to be accepted by
the watch keeper within 1 minute.
When acknowledgement is not giv
en by pushing a button, the captain
and the second watch keeper on
duty will be alarmed.
Alternative for the reset of the
safety timer, operation of any of
the bridge equipment may reset
the timer.
It is then advised to reduce the
time-leg.

Required view from conning position and naviga

tion workstation

Required view from bridge wing

Required field of view from main steering position"

2 ship lengths _
o r 500m (whlc~ev~_ is less)
Maximum allowed dead angle in sight line from bridge

21. Nautical

e~~ip!1l;!!!~~_ __

_-./

Ship - Shore

Communication between ship and

shore and between ships and ships
GMDSS stands for Global Mari
time Distress and Safety System.
It makes use of the satellite
communications now available
through the international mari
time satellite INMARSAT system.
INMARSAT is a co-operative or
ganisation, which includes about
sixty countries, which fund and
take compensation according to
each member's use of the sys
tem. Geostationary satellites are
positioned about 36,000 kilome
tres over the equator to provide
nearly complete global coverage

is worldwide standardised in the

GMDSS system.

The international Maritime Organi

sation, IMO , is the regulating body.

(A3). The extreme north and

south polar regions are not cov

ered (A4).

The system provides automatic

communications with an override

facility for distress calls.

Several service standards are

provided.

INMARSAT Band C have a dis

tress alerting facility at the press

of a button.

Areas served by VHF shore sta

tions are called Ai and areas

served by MF/HF shore stations

are called A2.

Paolflo' ......... At.lantlo Wast ~ Atlantlo east

Satellite coverage around the world.

The four GMDSS sea areas are des

ignated Al, A2, A3 and A4:
Sea Area Al means radio cover
age of at least one VHF coastal
station in which continuous DSC
alerting is available. In principle,
this is within 20 miles from the
coast of populated areas.
Sea Area A2 means within ra
dio coverage of at least one MF
coastal station in which continu
ous DSC alerting is available.
Range about 40 miles from the
coast of populated areas.
Sea Area A3 includes the rest
of the seas within reach of an
INMARSAT stationary satellite
in which continuous alerting is
available.
The satellites are located above
the equator and cover the earth
from 70 South to 70 North.

22. Communication systems

Sea Area A4 means all areas

outside Al, A2 and A3, which
in practice means the polar re
gions of the Arctic and Antarctic.

For the coastal areas, the require

ments depend on the capabilities of
the coastal stations. Large unoccu
pied coastal areas have no coastal
stations so that equipment for area
A3 has to provide communication in
those areas.

Charts showing Al and A2 around

the North Sea and the East Atlantic
coast. These charts are available
for all parts of the seas.
The Atlantic falls primarily in area
A3 and north of the Atlantic in the
polar area A4.

2.

2.1

GMDSS

GMDSS equipment

Names and functions of compulsory

GMDSS equipment is as follows.

All ships, all areas:

1. EPIRB stands for an Emergency

Position Indicating Radio Bea
con . It is capable of automati
cally giving the position of a ship
when the ship is submerged and
the EPIRB has floated up; the
code also includes the identifi
cation of the ship.
2. SART is a Search And Rescue
Radar Transponder relaying the
identification of the ship when
hit by the radar beam of a 10
cm radar.
3. NAVTEX receives meteorologi
cal, navigational and safety in
formation, in relation to mari
time safety.
4. DSC or Digital Selective Calling.
This is a means of alerting in
the case of distress without the
use of satellites. The operational
area is limited by the availability
of shore based maritime rescue
co-ordination centers.
Communication equipment area A1:
5. One fixed VHF Radio telephone
with whip aerials
6. One self-contained SART radar
transponder
7. One self-contained EPIRB satel
lite radio beacon
8. One NAVTEX receiver with whip
aerial
9. One enhanced group call receiv
er, with whip aerial
10.Two hand held VHF self-con-

Area A2 includes the above plus the

following:
11.0ne MF Radiotelephone with
Digital Selective Calling and ei
ther a wire aerial or a tall ver
tical whip aerial between 9 and
16 metres high or alternatively.
12.0ne INMARSAT-C satellite com
munication system with a gyro
stabilized, omnidirectional an
tenna teletype and data. New
miniature system SATCOM-M
has voice fax and data capabili
ties and a gyro stabilised direc
tional antenna.
For A2 MF/HF with DSC is manda

tory. VHF must be duplicated. Sat

com is not Mandatory.

Most in use is SATCOM-C. Newest

used Satcom is Inmarsat-F and

Fleet Broadband.

A3 includes the above plus the fol

lowing:

13.0ne MF Radio telephone system

and an INMARSAT-C system

with aerials or alternatively, as
duplication for the Satcom sys
tems, another MF/HF radio tel
ephone system with DSC and
TELEX with another large wire
aerial or tall whip .

2.2

AIS, LRIT and SSAS

2.2.1 Automatic Identification

System
AIS is a transponder system that
transmits the ship's data:
name, call sign, dimensions, type
of ship, IMO number and variable
data as position, course and speed,
draught, cargo, destination and Es
timated Time of Arrival (ETA) in the
VHF band.
The data received from the vessel
are processed and combined with
the next map of the area where the
ship sails and nowadays also post
ed on the internet. The picture on
the next page shows an example
of the ships sailing in the English
channel with details of one vessel
in a pop-up screen after "mouse
over".

MF/HF and Satcom C. Telex on MF/

HF is required or a 2nd Satcom C
Three hand-held VHF self-contained
radio telephones.
Area A4 is beyond the coverage of
the satellites, only the duplicated
MF/HF Radiotelephone systems with
DSC and TELEX are acceptable.

Epirb

2.2.2 Long Range Identification

and Tracking system
(LRIT)
The ISPS regulations of IMO require

ships to transmit their position eve

ry six hours to a central database.

This allows flagstates to verify the

position of vessels in their adminis

tration worldwide.

This data is transmitted automati

cally through a suitable transmis

sion system in the radio zones for

which the vessel is certified.

The LRIT equipment has to be type

approved.

2.2.3 Ship Security Alert System

A Ship Security Alert System
(SSAS) is a satellite radio system,
providing the ship's staff with a
means to alert the homebase, in
case of for instance a pirate attack.
In the wheelhouse and somewhere
else in the ship, usually the engine
room control room, an alarm push
button is installed.
When this pushbutton is used an
automatically arranged radio alarm
message will be sent to an appoint
ed agent, who on reception can
warn the operator and authorities.
2.2.4 Antennas
All equipment mentioned above re
quires aerials of some sort which
have to be located on the topside
of the ship. Each aerial has its pre
ferred location, but as space is lim
ited, a compromise has to be found
based on the purpose of the ship.
Possible interference between the
antennas must also be considered
(see chapter on EMC).
Other equipment that requires aer
ials are radio and tv systems and
for instance a V-Sat system for
telephone and internet communi
cations . More often these are gyro
stabilized dish antennas, mounted
in domes, that use satellites for
data transfer.

Maintenance

Maintenance is also part of the

GMDSS requirements and is defined

as onboard maintenance, shore

based maintenance and mainte

nance by duplication of equipment

on board.

For ships sailing in areas Al or

A2, any of these methods may be

adopted in accordance with guide

lines contained in the respective

IMO resolution.

Shore-based maintenance is the

most widely adopted for all areas

with the addition of duplication of

equipment for areas A3 and A4 .

The flag country is usually respon

sible for the approval of the exter

nal communication package.

.~~1/~

Internal communication

A ship will also have a number of

internal communication systems
such as:
- automatic telephone
- public address
- general alarm
- radio paging
Sometimes public address and gen
eral alarm are combined into one
system, escpecially on passenger
ships.
Furthermore there may be a number
of entertainment systems such as:
- Radio
- Satellite
- Internet

:~-"t ~~ kh,opllYp.: lII~"\l

Sta(lII:Ond'I'Yi{1l
SnoltleldtKOon:l1.1k11/7S'
LenlltoxDletdte:90m X t~m
Dlopgln'l: .lm
8. .t.mmlnS/:ZAAlIOAU

nA: 2IJ10-0"'lSZl:OO(tfTC)
Ontvonll"'I11l):Ohtrrtl7ag,"d,n
(Al3t.oon:G4EM/,1)

""""""'"

""""""'

Example of AIS data.

Ships in passage in the English Channel with one ship highlighted.

Antenna and radar mast.

Six whip aerials on left and right, two dome antennas and two radar scan
ners in the middle and four GPS antennas on top.

When there is fire or flooding in

a ship the Safety Systems are
there to give detection of these
events at the earli est time, warn
crew and passengers and limit
the effects as much as possible.
The aim of these actions is to
keep the shi p in a condition that
it remains afloat and safe for
crew and passengers to remain
on board.
Safety systems can be:
1. Fire safety systems related to the
prevention, detection, alarming,
encapsuling (limiting to a space)
and extinguishing of fires .
2. Crew and passenger safety sys
tems related to alarming peo
ple in case of fire or a general
alarm and safe evacuation.
3. Watertight subdivision of the
ship as well as the outside hull
openings.
4 . The ship as its own lifeboat.

General

When one fire zone or water

tight compartment of the ship is
damaged all safety systems shall
continue to operate in all other
sections. That means that ca
bles have to be carefully routed,
and that fire resistant cables and
junction-boxes have to be used
for those systems that should re
main in operation when a fire or
flooding incident occurs.
Fire detection systems cabling
has to be routed carefully and
when passing from one zone into
another or f rom one engine room
into another, the cabling has to be
separated .
In this way the detection system
continues to monitor all the not
yet affected zones.
A public address system, for infor
mation to crew and passengers,
as well as abandon ship alarms or
fire alarms need to have duplicat
ed amplifiers and duplicated fire
resistant cable routes.
The junction boxes to the indi
vidual speakers have also to be
fire resistant, with fused circuits
to each speaker.
Power for fire fighting systems
and control systems shall not be
hampered by a failure in an ad
jacent zone. So emphasis has to
be laid on cable routing and partly
fire resistant cabling.

Emergency

PlrePump

Fire station . Hydrant and hose inside th e box.

Fire safety systems.

2.1 Fire detection and alarm

systems.
Detectors consist of heat detec
tors in galley and laundry, smoke/
heat detectors in cabins and public
spaces and smoke/ heat/flame de
tectors in engine room spaces.
Most systems for larger ships
are addressable so that a fire is
pinpointed to a cabin or limited
space and not to a complete loop
that covers a fire zone with many
spaces, and many detectors. This
makes it easier to attack the fire.

2.2 Fire doors and fire

dampers
Fire doors and fire dampers are
automatically operated by the de
tection system or by a heat melt
ing fuse inside the fire damper. Fire
doors separate fire zones by clos
ing corridors, normally by deacti
vating a magnet, keeping the door
open when de-activated.
Fire dampers act the same way in
airconditioning trunks in the ac
commodation and in ventilation
ducting of in- and outlet trunks of
the engine rooms.
In addition to the magnet controls,
automatic melting fuses are fitted
in the larger dampers to close the
damper in case of a high tempera
ture at the fire damper.

2.3 Deluge (drenching)

systems
Deluge systems use seawater for
car decks of ferries. Dry, open sys
tems are mostly used. When a fire
is detected on the car deck the
crew will manually start the deluge
pumps. The deluge pumps will then
pump seawater under high pres
sure to the effected section of the
car deck.

2.4 Local fire fighting

Systems to extinguish a local fire
on an engine. In addition to the
detectors of the general fire detec
tion system above main auxiliary
engines, locally dual detectors are
fitted. They operate a shut down
and fire extinguishing function for
the particular engine.
All engines have individual systems
so that a local fire will not shut
down more engines.
Water mist or ultra fog is mostly
used for such a local system.

2.6 Fire pumps

A number of fire pumps is present,
pumping water from outboard, and
all connected to the fire main line,
with connections (hydrants) for
hoses so that every location on
board can be reached .

2.7 Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide (C0 2 ) or anoth
er gas related fire fighting system
for engine rooms, cargoholds and
galley hoods is always manually
operated. When the release box
is opened, an audible and visual
alarm is activated to warn people
inside the relevant space.
The warning system must have two
separate, monitored, power supply
circuits.

3
-

2.5 Ultra fog systems

Ultra fog systems use high pres
sure fresh water which is sprayed
through nozzles forming a water
mist.
This water mist will cool the fire
and extinguish this by taking away
the air. This system is mainly used
in accommodations where . ~?me
times also sprinkler systems ciln be
used. If the ultra fog system runs
out of fresh water it switches over
to seawater but this causes more
damage to the interior.

Test of the drenching system on the car deck of a Ro-Ro ferry

Crew and passenger

safety systems
General alarm system, alerting
the crew and passengers, or
dering them to the assembling
locations (muster stations).
Public address system for the
same purpose
Escape route markings together
with emergency lighting.
Low level lighting to indicate
the escape routes in the accom
modation in case of smoke.

Safety regulations also

apply to:
Watertight doors in watertight
bulkheads
Stern and side doors in the shell
plating
Bow doors, also in the shell
Subdivision doors in ferry car
deck spaces, to avoid the ac
cumUlation of large volumes
of water on one side that could
de-stabilize the vessel and may
cause it to capsize.

The ship as its own

lifeboat

In open sea, the largest floating

object is the ship itself.

For the safety of people on board,

the main challenge is to keep that

ship afloat with the vital systems

working, and the next challenge

is to return to port.

As long as the casualty threshold

has not been passed, certain sys

tems should be kept working .

This includes

Machinery:
propulsion, steering, fuel
transfer, safe area support

oil
Bow doors of a Ro-Ro car ferry

Safety:
communications, fire and bilge

systems, fire safety and damage

control.

When these primary systems can

be kept alive and the ship is float

ing it can be decided to stay on

board. Then the decision to sail

to a nearest port will be made be

tween the crew and the port au

thorities and others involved.

The first steps for these safety ar

rangements have to be made in

the design period, where impact

on propulsion, power generation,

duplication of main components

in different compartments is es

sential.

Passenger ships are usually pro

vided with twin propeller arrange

ments, but when installed in sep

arate engine rooms, it provides

possibilities to enhance safety of

the vessel.

It has impact on pipe and cable

routing and is similar to DP sys

tems with their redundancy class

es.

Electricity in all its forms has to

be looked at from this point of

view.

Duplication of components also

means duplication of power ca

bles and cables for control sys

tems .

Ferry with the lower car deck on

fire . Note the positions of the A-60
bulkheads between the burnt out
car deck and the ventilation ducts
and with the accommodation spac
es more forward.

Evacuating these large numbers

at sea would be an enormous op
eration so keeping the ship afloat
and in operation to some extent
would have great advantages .
When a cargo ship is provided
with a twin propulsion system, it
This philosophy of the ship as its
is worth investigating the impact
own lifeboat was developed over
on such an arrangement as well.
the recent years and primarily

for cruise ships .

The number of passengers on

cruise ships is growing from 2000

to over 5000 and maybe even

more in the years to come.

Manual fire alarm push button .

Lighting systems are designed

and installed for several purpos
es and in accordance with to dif
ferent requirements.
Examples of lighting systems
are work-lighting where the type
of work determines the light
ing level, orientation-lighting to
guide the way without disturb
ing others and emergency light
ing and low level escape lighting
for abandoning spaces in case of
emergency.

lighting systems

The following lists give a first guid

ance for lighting levels in work ar
eas. Final figures must be obtained
from the applicable Rules & Regu
lations under contract.

1.1 Living areas:

-

Captain class dayroom 150 Ix

Captain class bedroom 100 Ix
Cabin
100 Ix
State -/passenger room 100 Ix
On desk
250 Ix
200 Ix
Berth at pillow
Mirror front
200 Ix
Bathroom
50 Ix
Lavatory/ toilet
50 Ix
Barber shop
200 Ix
Dining saloon/messroom200 Ix
Dining table
250 Ix
Recreation room
200 Ix
Gymnasium
200 Ix
Bars/lounges
50 Ix
Shopping area
200 Ix
50 Ix
Passages/ alleyways
Staircases
50 Ix
Passenger entrance
100 Ix
Outer passage
10 Ix
Swimming pool
50 Ix

1.2
-

Wheelhouse
Chart room
Chart table
centre spotlights
Radio operator table
centre spot lights
Pilot house

1.3

Navigation area:
50 Ix
50 Ix
250 Ix
250 Ix
200 Ix

Service areas

Office
On desk
Galley
On cooking range
Provision stores
Laundry

24. Lighting systems

100
250
100
250
50
100

Ix
Ix
Ix
Ix
Ix
Ix

1.4

Operating areas

Main passage, stairs, entrance main engine room, aux. engine room and
100 Ix
boiler rooms
- Work area in above spaces
150 Ix
- Access at rear of tanks, machinery and other equipment
in engine room and boiler room
20 Ix
200 Ix
_ . Engine control room
- Engine control room at desks
300 Ix
100 Ix
- Workshop
- Workshop at bench or machine (under local light)
300 Ix
- Cargo control rooms, see engine control rooms
- Cargo pump rooms, see engine room spaces
- Emergency generator room, see engine room spaces.
Local lighting from local batteries
- Mooring winch area, cargo hold area and other areas that require
inspection only, no serious monitoring of equipment
20 Ix

Lighting sources.

The different types of light sources have very different efficiencies and life
times.
Incandescent bulbs
Low voltage halogen
High voltage halogen
Fluorescent lighting
Energy saving bulbs
High pressure mercury
High pressure natrium
Light emitting diodes
Induction lights

8-15
12-25
12-25
47-104
40-80
30-140
60-140
20 -50
65-70

1m
1m
1m
1m
1m
1m
1m
1m
1m

per Watt,
per Watt,
per Watt,
per Watt,
per Watt,
per watt,
per Watt,
per Watt,
per watt,

lifetime
lifetime
lifetime
lifetime
lifetime
lifetime
lifetime
lifetime
lifetime

1000-3000 hrs
2000-3500 hrs
4000-10,000 hrs
6000-40,000 hrs
8000-16,000 hrs
10,000 hrs
8000 hrs
50000 hrs
80000 hrs

When comparing LEDs with traditional halogen spotl ights, energy savings

of 50% can be attained not only in lighting power, but addit ionally in the

amount of heat produced, which results in less cooling to be done by the

air-conditioning system .

Induction lights are not dimmable or available in large types and are consid

ered not suitable for domestic use.

Types of lighting
systems

Normal lighting systems are all the

systems supplied by the main pow

er source.

The normal lighting system has to

be arranged in such a way that a

fire or other casualty in the spaces

containing the emergency genera

tor, transforming equipment and

emergency lighting switchboard

does not have any effect on the

main lighting system.

Emergency lighting systems must

be independent of the main power

source and the spaces containing it.

Emergency lighting can be subdi

vided into general, transitional and

supplementary lighting.

Escape route or low location light

ing is required for passenger ships

and has to be independent of other

fire zones by means of local power

supply units with batteries or fire

resistant cables, both ensuring

availability of the system for one

hour.

Transitional emergency lighting

must come from a separate battery,

rated for half an hour and has to be
adequate to permit safe evacuation
in an emergency.

The picture on the previous

page (bottom, right) shows var
ious types of plugs for lighting
systems.
In Europe the two largest coun
tries France and Germany have
developed a plug for earthed
circu its that fits in both national
standards.
This plug combines the German
rim earth with the French third
pin earth and is used now in
most European countries.
Italy and Great Britain as well
as Switzerland are still differ
ent but the unearthed European
plug fits in the sockets of Swit
serland and Italy.

-------

Lux is the value for light inten

sity. Lx in short.

Lumen is the value for light ra

diation , or the quantity of light in

a lightbeam .

1 Lux = 1 Lumen / sq.m.

Dialux overview lighting lay-out Drilling Vessel

Dialux result of lighting calculations in false colours

4.

Lighting Calculations

Making lighting calculations dur

ing the design period and using the
outcome for the installation helps
to avoid costly modifications during
completion when the actual lighting
levels are measured.
There are many lighting calculation
programs on the market, both com
mercial and non-commercial. The
pictures on this page are screen
shots from the lighting calculations
for a Drilling Vessel using such pro
gram.

5.

Lighting Measurements

On completion the lighting levels

should be measured under opera
tional conditions i.e. with all equip
ment installed and the accommo
dation spaces with all furniture.
For the lighting measurements a
calibrated instrument should be
used and the measured data pre
sented in a report. The newer
types of lighting measuring instru
ments have data logging which can
be transferred to a PC for further
processing.

Th is paragraph refers to spe

cial ships which are required to
stay in position during operation,
without the use of anchors or
other means fixing them to the
seabed .
Dynamically positioned ships
include crane vessels, sh ips for
cable laying, pipe laying, pipe
trenching, stone dumping, div
ing support, dredgers and even
bunker boats, large yachts and
recently, passenger ships v isit
ing exotic locations.
The same systems, known as
autosail and auto track, are
also used to control a ship when
moving from one position to an
other and when the environment
cannot be disturbed by anchors.
More and more ships are
equipped with such control sys
tems.

The left page shows the individual

thruster control console of a crane
and pipe laying barge. These con
trols are not for operation, as this
is nearly impossible for an opera
tor, but for testing procedures of
individual thrusters. In the center
of the console is a combined con
trol unit, enabling the combined
handling of all thrusters to obtain a
total output in force and direction .
The basic design criteria, what,
where and how are very important
for DP applications.

DP (AAA) pipelaying vessel at work in deep water

An FMEA is required for the control

system and the propulsion con

trolled by the system.

A single failure, such as fire and/or

flooding of a space, has to be con

sidered. Notation (AA).

Class 3 is the highest class in

redundancy and in use for high

tech deep water pipe laying ships,

heavy-lift ships or diving support

ships, where loss of control could

lead to dangerous situations .

An FMEA is required \ for the con

trol system and propulsion system,

based on a single failure. Flooding

and/or fire in a space is also consid

ered. Notation (AAA) or DP3 .

The result for the ship may be to

stay in position or move accord

ing to a defined course and over a

defined distance.

It can also be used to sail along

a defined track with waypoints .

mostly used for cable laying opera

tions which can be done at speeds

up to ten knots .

An essential part of a DP system

is the Power Management System

(PMS). This system regulates the

generation and distribution of elec

trical power. Special operational

load calculations are made during

the design period including load

flows, selectivity issues and switch

board configurations like open or

closed bus tie breakers.

Class 1 is for simple work with a

single automatic control system
having a manual back-up, where a
loss of position would not lead to a
critical situation.
This can be an offshore standby
vessel, a yacht or perhaps a pas
senger ship staying in position with
a manned bridge.

When flooding and fire are a con

sideration for the FMEA, the cable

routing from the duplicated control

DP system deSigners will use re

systems to the thrusters and other

sulting data to calculate the DP ca

controlled equipment is vital.

pabilty of a ship and produce a so

called DP-footprint. A DP-footprint

indicates the operational limits of a

DP-ship in relation to the environ

2
DP systems lay-out
mental conditions like current and

A dynamic positioning sytem is built

wind and the available thrust.

up from hardware, such as pro

pellors and thrusters, where out
put and direction is controlled by
Redundancy is often determined
computers, which get information
by a Failure Mode and Effect
(software) from various sensors
Analysis (FMEA), a requirement
regarding wind, position, heading,
for all ships with a high DP no
speed etc.
tation .

Class 2 is for more complicated

work with a duplicated automatic
control system, where loss of posi
tion could lead to more critical situ
ations. Examples are ships for ca
ble laying, pipe laying, trenching,
or stone dumping.

Depending on the classification of

the DP system, redundancy is pro
vided by the number and power of
thrusters, computers and input
sensors. The computers process
the input and translate this into
commands to the thrusters.

DP Notations

Redundancy for vessels with a DP

notation is often described as Class
1, 2 or 3.

This analysis does not address

the control system only, but all
equipment, electric or not, re
quired to stay in position or to
perform auto-sailor auto-track
as defined in the first design cri
terion "WHAT".

Input sensors

These environmental sensors con

sist of:

3.1 Gyrocompass
Two or more gyrocompasses deter
mining the heading of the vessel

3.2 Vertical reference units

Two or more vertical reference
units which determine roll and
pitch of the vessel

3.3 Wind speed and direction

Two or more wind speed and direc
tion monitoring systems enabling
the system to react to wind force
and gusts before the vessel starts
moving.

3.4 DGPS systems

Two or more DGPS systems deter
mining the position of the vessel.
Also heading and speed are calcu
lated, provided the ship is moving .
Two or more differential receivers
for the correction signals of the
global positioning system.
For details of navigation and nau
tical equipment, see paragraph 21

3.5 Taut wires

A taut-wire system is basically a
self-tensioning winch keeping a
steel wire, connected to a weight
on the seabed, under constant
tension. The wire is led through a
gimbal head with transmitters col
lecting data about the directional
angle of the wire in two directions
and thus determining the relative
movements of the ship.
Computers calculate the move
ment from the angle, corrected by
the angle of the ship from the ver
tical reference units and the meas
ured wire length or water depth.

1. Wire
2. Ring is limit switch for upper
position of taut-wire weight
3. Heave compensator
4. Angle sensor for transverse
movement of vessel

3.6 Radar based position

systems
Other position reference systems
are ARTEMIS: A radar-based sys
tem measuring distance and head
ing from one or more transmitters
located at a fixed location.

3.7 Laser based systems

A more modern above water sys
tem is FANBEAM, a laser-based
system which measures distance
and heading from a reflector at a
fi xed location.
Sometimes this system reacts to
the reflectors on safety clothing.

3.8 Under water position

systems
Under water, there are SONAR
based systems reacting to tran
sponders positioned on the seabed.
A transponder replies to the sound
signals transmitted from the ship
and again, distance and heading is
measured.

Sensor off-sets

For an accurate system all the rela

tive distances between the DGPS
aerials, the locations of the taut
wires, the LASER directors and the
SONAR beams. have to be known
and fed into the computer systems.
The signal input to the computer
has to be corrected for all these
permanent off-sets.
Also the changes as a result of the
movement of the vessel are cor
rected by the computer system.
As an example the system will try
to keep the antenna of the DGPS
system in a fixed position.
Rolling of the ship will move the po
sition of the antenna and if not cor
rected will activate thrusters.
The same will happen if the opera
tor changes from DGPS1 to DGPS2
if the system does not know the
off-sets of the antennas.
The location on the ship to be kept
in place by the DP system can be
selected depending on the type of
work.
Depending on the type of work, and
the location of the tool on board to
do the work with, offset can also be
determined for the tool.
For a stone dumper, the end of the
fallpipe can be the important loca
tion .
For a crane vessel the position of
the hook.

DP Crane vessel is making preparations to lift a topsides from the submersible heavy cargo ship

Locations and types of

propulsors

These different applications deter

mine the required locations and

types of propulsors.

The name propulsors is chosen to

address the variety of thrusters

such as:

- Variable pitch fixed speed uni

directional thruster
- Fixed pitch variable speed om
ni-directional thrusters
Both types are also available as Az
imuth thrusters where the direction
of the thrust can also be controlled.
azimuth thrusters are made as
fixed and as retractable.
Fixed pitch variable speed revers
ible tunnel thrusters as well as
variable pitch fixed speed tunnel
thrusters are used.
These thrusters can be diesel driv
en or diesel electric from one or
more generators .

6.1

FMEA : Failure Mode

and Effect Analysis

Preface to FMEA

Both notations DP (AA) and DP

(AAA) have to be verified by a
FMEA. This is a method used to de
termine the consequences of a sin
gle failure in the propulsion system
and the propulsion control system.
For a diesel electric propelled ves
sel it begins with the fuel tanks
and fuel system, identifying single
failures on an empty tank, a fail
ing separator and a failing booster
pump and lists the consequences
for the propulsion system.
As long as only one propulsor
gets involved there is no cause for
alarm. As soon as more than one
propulsor gets damaged by a single
failure upstream of the propulsors,
it should be identified so that pos
sible solutions can be determined.

The fully redundant system does

not only take into account the
equipment located in a space, but
also the cable routes to and from
the redundant equipment.
An example of non-redundant ca
ble routing is: A power cable for
thruster 1 and a control cable of
thruster 2, (which is intended to be
the back-up of thruster 1), both lo
cated at the same cable tray, would
not be redundant in case of fire in
this space.
Also, if a thruster requires more
power sources, for instance 10kV
for the main motor, 440 volt for the
hydraulic pumps and the lubricat
ing oil pump, 220 volt for the main
control system and 24V DC for the
emergency control system, it may
be far more redundant to obtain
all the AC voltages from a single
source and obtain the emergency
controls from a common DC sys
tem.

ISS PS

I,BIN

GEN2

GEN.l

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311,;

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lHR
5

CI'OINE

PIPElAY
INSfALL
2500kVA

2400kW
RETAAcTA9LE

22001M1

29501M1

ASS ps

440V

\206

2950 kVV

207

AS8 S8

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LT1

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LT2

LT4

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ASS PS ,23OV

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AS8 58

2400kW
'R(TRIo.CTABLE

MSB 59
6,6kV

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23QV
D1 STRI]UTlON

PROP, 1

ROOM!

440V
DI STRIBUTION
PROP, 1

1~~a'INE 2~'

(-~

UPS /
EME RGEN CY
CONTROLS

>-

,- ---@

I~~~'INE 1~'

.----

CONTROL
.----- CIRCUITS

PROPUL S ION

MAIN
SIiITCHBOARD 1

24V
DISTR IBUT I ON

>--
----

BATTER Y

AUXILIARIES
HYDRAULI C PUMPS
S TEERING PUMPS
COOLl NG PUMP S

PROPULS ION SECTION

PROPULS ION
ROOM 2

. -

. -

. -

_. -

. -

MA IN

. -

SEPARA TION

24V

S WITCHBOARD 2

230V
D1 STR I:BUTlON
ENG , ROOM 2

I~~~'INE 3~

DISTRIBUTION
ENG , ROOM 2

.----
>--
.----

UPS I

CO NS UMER

440V

I~~~'INE 4~

.. -

DI S TRIBUTION
ENG. ROOM 2

~tAIN

-----
,~

Et~ER(jENC Y CONT ROLS

SIi IT CHBOARD .2

440V DISTRIBUTIO N 2
230V DIST RI BUTION 2

CIRCUITS
BATTER Y

AUXILIARIES

,- ----@
PO WER GENERATION SEC TION
6.2 Example cable laying and
repair ship
A visual example provides more

information than pages of te xt. At

first, a simplified one-line diagram,

with, at the top, the power distri

bution to the propulsors and their

auxiliaries.

The other 3 propulsors have a sim

ilar arrangement: one more from

switchboard 1 and the two others

from switchboard 2.

The engine rooms are self-support

ing, so there is no common failure

that can affect two engine rooms;,

however" there are common sys

tems for two generator sets such

as fuel, seawater and freshwater.

This allows fewer generators to

operate all thrusters during favour

able weather conditions in order to

save fuel.

An alternative would be diesel di

rect drive for each thruster in each

thruster room with no common

systems. At lower loads, this is not

effective with regard to fuel, but

a lot of equipment is not required

in such a configuration (genera

tors for propulsion, no HV switch

boards, no transformers, convert

ers and electric motors).

Instead, there are always four en

gines running, and because of their

limited speed range, variable pitch

thrusters are required.

Organizing these systems is an op

erational choice.

More equipment does not always

mean more redundancy.

Direct drives are more efficient than

diesel electric systems . The lower

part of the above diagram shows

half of the distribution system to

the generator room au xiliaries.

Here, a common distribution sys

tem per generator engine room

with one transformer from the high

voltage switchboard, one 440V

switchboard, and another single

transformer 440/230V to another

single 230V switchboard and a sin

gle 24V DC battery-fed UPS system

for emergency controls.

This 24V DC could also control the

HV circuit breakers which usually

lock mechanically in their open or

closed position and require power

to be operated or opened .

This power is always from a UPS

type of power supply to guarantee

opening of the circuit breakers dur

ing short- circuit or black- out condi

tions.

supplied from one switchboard can

be routed together because a fail~

ure of this switchboard would stop

these propulsors too.

A similar analysis has to be con

ducted on the other systems which
are required to run the generators
and propulsors.
Thus, fuel tank arrangement, filling
system, separators, etc. must not
depend on any item in the other
eng ine room.
Ventilation arrangement, location
of fans, control gear and power
supplies must be independent from
the other engine room .
Cooling-water systems, both sea

water and freshwater, in one engine

room must be independent from

the other engine room .

Also cooling water for one thruster

must be independent from all other

thrusters.

The intention is that with a seri

ous problem in one of the engine

Hydraulics for a propulsor have to

rooms, such as fire or flooding, the

be independent of all other propul

other operating engine room, with

sors, thus, no common tanks.

its switchboards HV and LV and

The propulsion controls should be

230V as well as 24V DC, is still ca

pable of operating its engines, gen

from the associated 24V DC source

erators, aux iliaries, switchboards.

for each propulsor.

With the distribution lay-out to the
thrusters, a single failure cannot
affect more than one of the propul

sors.

The locations and routing of the ca

bles must be such that a fire does

not influence more than one pro

pulsor.

The control cables for propulsors

Within the dynamic positioning sys

tem, the control circuits must also

be divided over different circuit

boards in such a way that a single

failure will not jeopardise the func

tion of more than one thruster.

6.3 Example upgrading crane

and pipe laying vessel
The upgrading of a large crane
vessel involved two engine rooms,
switchboard rooms and thruster
rooms and four new thrusters.

This resulted in class 3 conditions

rising from 50% to 75 % of the to
tally installed and increased gen
erator capacity.
For a (AAA) certified system with a
main and back-up computer control
system located in a fire insulated
(A-60) space, the control cable

SINGLE LINE DIAGRAM "SAIPEM 7000"

DIESEL ELECTRIC D.P.

~ ~ ~
J

1
~
I

~
AUK

~. ~

~~L

----

"I

J
I

II

'"

NeW'it",t;on!

ey---

LAYING

SYSTEM

) Old situation I

11$

PIPE

SYSTEM

AUX.

$~
~
(

--.L~~
l

LAYING

~ -~

CRANE SHIP AND PIPE LAYING VESSEL

~ ~ ~

PIPE.

THRUSTER 11

routing from the normal computer

and the back-up computer must be
separated over the full length.
The change over from main to
backup controls must be physically
located as close to the propulsor as
possible.

THRUSTER 12

TTTTl
I

j~~~~~L ~~~~~~!
!

AUX.

AUX.

CRANE

CRANE

THRUSTERS 1-9

Main DP-console with manual thruster control console in background.

THRUSTERS 2-10

Secondary DP console

6.4

tsKlUl:lt: CHt:CKLIST

Engine room and bridge checklist

CURRENT
SPEED
WAVE SIG
m

DATE

To go into DP is a careful exercise and requires planned

action and tests from both the bridge and engine room
crew.
The procedures to change to and from DP-mode are as
rigid as for the preparation of an airplane before take-off
using check lists.

An example of an engine room checklist.

In this example, the Azimuth thruster T3 also requires
fresh cooling water from the engine room which has been
selected for electric power.
These valves are manually operated and must be in the
correct position.
The checklist must be completed by the engine room crew
and submitted to the bridge. The bridge crew checks their
part of the system and completed their checklist.
When all settings and tests are correct, the vessel can go
in DP-mode.

TIME
DP CASS
REQUIREMENTS
MAIN GENERATORS

DIR
deqr

Kn
WAVE HEIGHT
MAX
m

3
'U'

ENGINERROM PORT
Gl PORT OUTBOARD

ON-LINE

AUTO

STAND-BY

G2 PORT INBOARD

ON-LINE

AUTO

STAND-BY

Engine room STBD

G3 STBD INBOARD

ON-LINE

AUTO

STAND- BY

G4 STBD OUTBOARD

ON-LINE

AUTO

STAND-BY

CLOSED

OPEN

BUSTlE PORT 690V

OPEN

_.

BUSTlE STBD

BUSTE PORT 440 V

CLOSED

OPEN
BUSTlE PORT 230V

CLOSED
I ~~~~e room

Engine room PORT

~'c"'ou

CLOSED

OPEN

OPEIli
CLOSED

,OPEN ,

I ~~;~ I " " 1 ou

CLOSED

OPEN

OPEN

AUTO

ON-LINE

PROPULSION SYSTEM
T1 PORT AFTER

AVAILABLE

UNAVAILABLE

T2 STBD AFTER

AVAILABLE

UNAVAILABLE

T3 AZIMUTH FWD

CB PORT

ON-LINE
CB STBD

AVAILABLE

UNAVAILABLE

T4 TUNNEL FWD

AVAILABLE

UNAVAILABLE

ON-LINE
ON-LINE

TS TUNNEL FWD

AVAILABLE

UNAVAILABLE

ON-LINE

Engine room CHECKLIST

REFERENCE SYSTEMS
DGPSl

SATLOCK

DIFFLOCK

MF/HF

SAT B

ON - LINE

DGPS2

SATLOCK

DIFFLOCK

MF/HF

SAT B

ON-LINE

DGPS3

SATLOCK

DIFFLOCK

MF/HF

SAT B

I~~~~ARD

CONTROL

TAUTWIRE

LABLE

ON-LIN E
ON-LINE

HIPAP

VA LVE OPEN

DEPLOYED

CONTROL

ON-LINE

SONARDYNE

VALVE OPEN

DEPLOYED

CONTROL

ON-LINE

CONTROL

ON-LINE

FANBEAM
GYROl

HEADING

ENABLE

PREF

GYR02

HEADING

ENABLE

PREF

GYR03

HEADING

ENABLE

PREF

WIND!

DIRECTION

SPEED

ENABLE

PREF

WIND2

DIRECTION

SPEED

ENABLE

PREF

WIND3

DIRECTION

SPEED

ENABLE

PREF

VRSl

RO LL

PITCH

ENABLE

PREF

VRS2

ROLL

PITCH

ENABLE

PREF

POSITION

HEADING

LAMPTEST

DONE

GAIN

HIGH

MEDIUM

LOW

SPEED SET

~~""u,,

CRANE PORT

I ~;~~E'Mv" , ,we

m/s

de, -/MIN

CENTRE OF ROTATION

MOON POOL

CRANE SB

LIGHTS AND SHAPES

LIGHTS

SHAPES

CONTROLLERS On-line

AUTO ENABLE

ON

OFF

UPDATE On-line

YIN

YIN

OPERATORST ON-LINE

REFERENCE SYSTEMS
DGPSl

AVAILABLE

ON-LINE

DGPS2

AVAILABLE

ON-LINE

DGPS3

AVAILABLE

ON-LINE

TAUTWIRE

AVAILABLE

ON-LINE

HIPAP

AVAILABLE

ON-LINE

SONARDINE

AVAILABLE

ON-LINE
ON-LINE

l:;;""'" "'"
FANBEAM

l:;;""'" "'"

~"'CKUC"

RANGE

BEARING

LEVEL

POSITION

HEADING

LAMPTEST

DONE
MEDIUM

LOW

CRANE SB

CRANE PORT

I ~~~~~~ LV" , Kue

GAIN

HIGH

SPEED SET

I~~AIIUN

m/s

l.dearLM.rn_

CENTRE OF ROTATION

MOONPOOL

~~,CI"I"
DGPSl

AVAILABLE

On-line

HIPAP

AVAILABLE

On-lin e

--

In most cases, special systems

are in use on special ships.
Its impossible to list all specia l
systems and this chapter there
fore highlights some to give an
impression.

Types of special systems

General cargo vessels like bulk car

riers and multi-purpose cargo ves
sels do not require special systems.
They have a number of straightfor
ward systems which have been dis
cussed in previous chapters.

Some examples of vessels with

special systems are:
Container ships which have a
heeling system to keep the vessel
upright when loading and unloading
containers.

These ships also have sometimes

sophisticated supply and monitoring

systems for the cooled containers.

Very Large Crude Carriers (VL

CCs) which have large cargo oil

pumps on high voltage for cargo

discharge.

Luxury yachts that have sophis

ticated computer controlled light

ing and entertainment systems and

high-tech AC systems.

Passenger/car ferries have three

distinguished areas with each spe

cial systems:

passenger areas, car decks and en

gine spaces.

Dredgers which have large hy

draulic control systems for valves

and cargo doors, sophisticated

electronic systems to control and

monitor the dredging process and

sometimes very large high voltage

dredging pumps.

Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) and car ferry

Chemical tankers which have

hydraulic control systems for the

cargo valves on deck, tank level

monitoring and an emergency pro

pulsion system which is discussed

later in this chapter.

Drill ships which have specialized

drilling related systems and sophis

ticated electronic systems to sup

port the drilling process such as a

DP system.

A Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV)

system is also part of the equip

ment.

Cable laying vessels, Pipe lay

ing vessels and Diving support

vessels with DP systems have been

discussed in an earlier chapter.

2. Examples of special
systems
2.1

Helicopter facilities

Helicopter facilities are provided on

many ships.
Large oil tankers, bulk carriers and
container ships have helicopter
landing areas on deck to get a pilot
on or off the ship.
Special, pre-fabricated large heli
copter platforms usually installed
on large offshore equipment, such
as drilling rigs, diving support
ships, pipelaying barges, crane
vessels, etc. These are normally
made of aluminium.
These platforms are then used for
crew changes and or delivery of
supplies when the vessel is remote
from shore. When the distance is
large from the shore base a heli
copter must be refuelled on the
vessel and the helideck then will
have a heli refuelling system.
Large yachts increasingly have hel
icopter facilities and sometimes in
door stowage facilities for a small,
two- or four-seat, helicopter.
For larger certified helicopter decks
there are a number of requirements
to be fulfilled which are detailed in
the Offshore Helicopter Landing Ar
eas - Guidance on Standards CAP
437 which is issued by the UK Civil
Aviation Authority.

La rger certified helicopter decks

have special lighting arrangements
for night operations with perimeter
lighting, flood lights and windsock
lighting .
When there are large objects in
the approach path of the helicopter
these have to be provided with red
obstruction lights.
In addition to the above, drilling
vessels must have one or more Heli
Status Lights which are connected
to the Emergency Shutdown Sys
tem (ESD) and are activated when
there is a degradation of the safety
level on the vessel. An approach
ing helicopter will be warned not to
land. When already landed to take
off immediately.
When helicopter refuelling is re
quired the fuel pumps must be pro
vided with an emergency stop from
a safe location and the associated
control eqUipment must be an ex
plosion-proof type.
Furthermore an approved semi
conducting delivery hose on a stor
age reel must be fitted and a suit
able (high visibility) bonding cable
must be used to earth the heliCOp
ter frame to the ship's construction
before any refuelling (or de-fuel
ling) commences.
Helicopter systems also include
communication systems and ap
proach beacons.

Heli windsock

Heli deck flood and perimeter light

2.2 Shaft Generators

Electric power on board ships is
normally created by independent
diesel generators.
However, necessary power can
also be produced by the main en
gine through an attached genera
tor, which is either always rotating
when the main engine is running or
attached via a coupling.
With a coupling the generator can
be connected when required.
When the shaft generators have
the same rating as the diesel gen
erators these can be switched off
at sea . This electricity produced by
the main engine is cheaper due to
the use of cheaper fuel.
Various configurations and options
are available. One main engine or
two. One shaft generator or more.
Direct-driven or via a reduction
gearbox.
When the main engine is a long
stroke slow-running engine, a very
big multi-pole shaft generator run
ning at shaft speed or a step-up
gear is necessary to drive the gen
erator.
Between the diesel and the shaft
generator other kinds of drives can
be used: V-belts or even chains or
a clever type of transmission which
changes variable speed into con
stant speed within certain limits.

2.3 Exhaust-gas powered

generators
Large container ships produce a lot
of heat with the huge, high pow
ered main engine. This heat, in the
form of exhaust gas, is utilized for
other purposes as far as practi
cable, by making steam in an ex
haust-gas boiler. The steam, when
superheated, is sufficient to drive a
steam generator.
This steam turbine driven genera
tor produces more than sufficient
electric power for the ship's nor
mal use. This surplus power can be
used in an auxiliary electric propul
sion motor and provides power for
the propeller shaft. In this case, a
shaft generator is not needed as
the heat from the main engine can
be used to produce the necessary
electric current.
Auxiliary diesel generators are in
stalled to produce power when the
ship is in port.

2.4 Emergency propulsion

An ROV is launched from the ves

sel and then controlled from a ROV

Emergency propulsion is a sys

control desk .

tem which is used on for instance

The electrical supplies and controls

chemical tankers where an accident

are transferred via an umbilical ca

with the vessel and spill of its cargo

ble.

could have grave consequences.

As an ROV can operate at great

depth the power supply for the

The basis of emergency propul

propellers on the unit are fed with

sion systems is a shaft generator

3000V from a dedicated switch

or PTO (power take off) generator,

board.

converted by switchgear into an

electric motor, supplied by auxiliary

generators.

As a generator is not identical to a

motor it can only produce torque

as a motor after it has been syn

chronised and switched to the main

power plant.

Some systems use a small electric

motor, a pony motor, to drive the

generator up to synchronous speed

and then synchronising and closing

the circuit breaker.

Another solution is to change the

generater into a motor during this

running up period.

This is done by short-circuiting the

rotor windings with a device fitted

on the rotor. As soon as the rotor

runs synchronously, the short-cir

cuit is interrupted and the rotor is

excited by the AVR.

For inland tankers on the River

Rhine it is obligatory to have emer

gency propulsion capable of reach

ing 10 km/hr.

In some cases this is provided by

the omnidirectional bow thruster,

using the thrust in aft direction or

through a shaft generator, config

ured as an electric motor.

ROV launch equipment

2.5 Remote Operated Vehicle

Remote Operated Vehicles (ROV)
are small robots with cameras,
lights and arms that can be used
to survey the seabed and work on
connections.
Special consideration should be
given to the quality of the power
supplies to a ROV.
Any disturbances, from for example
harmonic distortions in the ship's
electrical system, are amplified due
to the capacity and the length of
the umbilical cable.
In some cases it is therefore ad
vised to use a rotating motor-gen
erator converter to produce clean
power to the ROV system.
ROV Control desk

2.6

Drilling Equipment

Drilling vessels have many highly

specialized systems on board.
Although the type of drilling de
termines the typical configuration
there are a number of standard
systems like the drill equipment
and iron roughneck, the system
to hold the drill pipe, that can be
found on all drilling vessels .
A low and high pressure mud sys
tem, to bring mud for drilling to the
bore hole, will also be installed.
When the operations involve drilling

Drill floor with topdrive

for oil or gas there will be extensive

hazardous areas with safety sys
tems, such as fire and gas detec
tion and an emergency shutdown
system.
To alert the crew when the DP
system is degraded or when the
DP cannot hold position due to
changed environmental conditions
a DP alert system will be fitted. This
system comprises signal colums as
a sort of traffic lights and an alarm
horn which will sound on a change
of status.

DP alert column with alarm hom

2.7

Pipe laying barges

Pipe laying at sea is a complicated

procedure, especially when dealing

with large pipe diameters in the or

der of one metre.

Pipe laying vessels most of the

time are converted ships or barges

on DP, where the thrust of the pro

pulsers is not only used to hold the

vessel on location but also to de

liver the pulling force for the pipe,

hanging down from the barge.

The pipe is held strongly by the

tensioners, large hydraulic clamps,

preventing the pipe dropping from

the vessel.

The water depth can be as much as

2500 metres.

The electrical demand is huge.

The main consumers are the thrust

ers, tensioners, welding, lots of hy

draulic systems, many cranes, and

an accommodation for up to 400

persons. And all those systems are

in use at the same time, 24 hours

a day.

Six or eight large capacity diesel

generators, each in the 3-4 MW

range to produce electrical power,

is normal for this type of vessel.

requirements
are

Redundancy
maximal, which means complete

double engine rooms, and thruster

capacity (DP3 class).

DP Pipelaying vessel, converted from a Panamax bulk-carrier.

The original engineroom aft is still in use for propulsion. DP is achieved

through 6 retractable azimuth thrusters, served by two newly created en

ginerooms. The old engineroom is not part of the FMEA

2.8

Yachts

Yachts, in a way, have often unusu

al features, compared with 'normal'
commercial ships.
Their kind of systems has to be
linked to classification require
ments. And these requirements
are not tailor-made for this kind of
ships.
Classification Rules and Regula
. tions for electronic systems for in
stance, are updated regularly. They
are always behind the wishes and
capabilities of the yacht-owners,
the yacht builders and the electri
cal subcontractor, simply because
the electronic equipment advances
too fast for the regulatory bodies to
keep track.
Most yacht-owners for instance
want a state-of-the-art 'design'
bridge without all the usual type
approved and often ugly control
and communication equipment.
This type-approved equipment of
different makes and shapes and
with even different finishing col
ours, would make the wheelhouse
of a yacht look very similar to the
bridge of a standard cargo ship, and
that is considered unacceptable by
the yacht-owner.
This equipment is not only different
in appearance but also in operation,
and consequently, when it has to
work in combination, or even inte
grated, operator unfriendly.

The Dynamic Positioning is compli

cated. Weather vaning, (heading

resulting from wind and current)

which is acceptable for a drillship,

as the drillstring is the decisive lo

cation, is not good enough for lay

ing pipes.

The pipe has to be layed along an

accurately planned track, and the

ship or barge has to be kept above

that line, in the proper direction.

Current and wind/waves can be

from abeam.

When a weld in the pipe is com

pleted, the ship has to move for

ward the length of the 'joint', 12,

24 or 36 metres. The necessary

allowance in fore and aft position,

controlled by the tensioners and

limited by the size of the welding

Most yachts are built according to
the Rules for Special Service Craft.
stations, is about one metre .

Moving from one job to another is

This allows, when compared with
done under own power, using the
the Rules for 'normal' ships some
thrusters assisted by tugboat(s),
relaxation in required equipment,
or at the propulsion system of the
but these rules basically have been
original ship.

written for simple craft. The Nota

An example of a one-line diagram
tion 'Yacht (P), results in some addi
for a pipe laying vessel is shown in
tional requirements related to those
chapter 25.

for passenger ships.

If the gross tonnage measurement

of the yacht exceeds 500, SOLAS is
also applicable.
More and more yachts are equipped
with sophisticated control equip
ment such as DP, single joystick
controls, assisted mooring and in
teg rated presentations.
These features are not clearly de
scribed in the rules for Special
Service Craft, but are more clearly
stated in the Rules for Special Pur
pose Ships and are then followed
insofar considered applicable to
these yachts.
The part-application of rules, rules
which are intended for more com
plicated ships, gives the designer
possibilities, and the Classification
guidance how to judge such a de
sign.
Yachts and passenger ships are
increasingly equipped with local
personal computers, serving a par
ticular space, and taking care of en
vironmental control, lighting, audio
and video systems, often (partly)
wireless. These PCs are connected
by a high speed network to a serv
er, providing programs and data. A
high speed satellite link can be part
of the system . Such systems are
preferred in order to reduce the to
tal cable length in a ship.
As long as safety is not involved,
there are no Class requirements for
such systems.
Emergency systems, however, such
as alarms, escape lighting, and fire
detection have to be independent of
these PCs. Otherwise, the Classifi
cation will require duplication, FMEA
if applicable, redundant cables and
power supplies, in order to result
in a reliable system in accordance
with the SOlAS requirements.

Commiss io ning is the process

of getting the installed equip
ment to work properly and fu lfi ll
its functions. It is done in steps,
starting at the manufacturer's
workshop where the essentia l
equipment is tested before it
is transported to the shipyard.
These tests at the makers are
called Factory Acceptance Tests
(FAT) and certify that the equip
ment performs properly, when
leaving the workshop.
Essential equipment includes
motors,
switch
generators,
boards and control gear assem
blies, transformers, alarm and
monitoring systems.

1.2

Cables

1.3

Cables used onboard of ships must

be type-approved, meaning that

they have been subjected to a se

ries of tests together with an ap

proved quality assurance system of

the manufacturer.

These cables are listed in the type

approved equipment of the various

classification societies.

In general, these cables are spe

cially designed and are suitable for

conditions with respect to vibration.

Thus, stranded conductors, fire

retardant and low smoke and low

halogen insulation.

Factory acceptance
tests (FAT)

1.1

Rotating machines

Generators and motors, usually

identified as rotating electrical
equipment, have to be subjected
to a heat run test, to demonstrate
that the rotating equipment can
perform its duty within the temper
ature limits of the materials used.
Heat run tests can be performed
under actual conditions, under load
with the same characteristics and
cooling conditions as the expected
load in service. It is often simulat
ed by a no-load test and a short
circuit test. The sum of the rise in
temperature represents the actual
temperature rise.
It is often limited to the electrical
windings of a machine, but should
also include mechanical parts such
as bearings.
In addition, megger tests, insula
tion resistance tests and high volt
age tests as well as overspeed
tests at 120% for two minutes, are
carried out. If possible, load steps
and other dynamic tests are run.
If dynamiC tests cannot be carried
out in the workshop, they must be
done during the harbour accept
ance tests (HAT) or during sea tri
als.
High voltage connection box:
1. Terminal L1
2. Terminal L2
3. Terminal L3
4. Conductors L1
5. Conductors L2
6. Conductors L3
7. Earth conductor
8. Starpoint

Very few have type approval, but

most switch gear and control gear
assemblies have been built from
type approved parts. All main and
emergency switchboards must be
factory tested to verify operational
and insulation quality by Megger
and high voltage tests.
The tests consist of checks of inter
locks, synchronisation, autostart
and autoclose of generators and
circuit breakers, sequential restart,
load shedding, depending upon the
ship's speCification.
1.4

------'

Cables temporarily
for testing purposes

disconnected

Switch and control gear

Circuit breakers.

Circuit breakers have to be ad

justed and tested by the manu
facturers. Certificates of required
settings and test results must be
submitted and verified . Name
plates must be fitted adjacent to
the circuit breakers in the switch
board referring to the adjusted set
tings to enable replacement.

1.5 Starting devices

Large starting devices (> 100kW)
must be tested at the manufactur
er's workshop as far as practicable.
The tests are more or less identical
to the tests of switchboards .

1.6 Converting equipment

Large converting equipment
(> 100kW) must be tested at the
manufacturer's workshop.
For rotating converting equipment,
the same tests are applicable as for
rotating machines.
For static converting equipment,
built from type-approved parts,
functional tests have to be done
simulating the performance of the
converter and checking tempera
ture rises of the approved parts
in the assembly. This can be done
during a full load test with the same
cooling arrangements as in the
ship's design standards.
This usually means cooling air of
45 0 C, cooling water, if direct sea
water is used, of 32C, but mostly
freshwater through a heat exchang
er of 37 0 C, or air, cooled by either
sea or fresh water with maximum
temperatures of 37 and 42C re
spectively, allowing a temperature
difference over the water/air heat
exchanger of soc.
Sometimes, if a chilled water sys
tem is installed, chilled water with a
temperature of 6 0 C is used.

1.7 Transformers

and connecting these, making it a

complete system. It is more effi
cient to test a complicated system
at the manufacturer's, as all control
locations are close together and
the changes of control positions are
more easy to test. Transfer of con
trol from one location to another
shall be bumpless and accepted by
the other location. This to avoid un
acceptable surprises.
Failure of a power supply shall not
cause change in control result or
alarms only.

1.9

Alarm and monitoring

systems

Alarm and monitoring systems

must also be tested at the manu
facturer's.
These include simulation of alarms,
checking of group alarms at the
bridge, and of engineer's alarms.
Duty selection, safety timer for not
accepting alarms, safety timer for
one person on watch, automatic
change over from unmanned to
manned operation when accepting
an alarm in the engine room, at the
same time starting the safety timer
to protect the engineer attending
an alarm. Graphics and trending
must also be checked during this
factory acceptance test.
Also system failures have to be
tested. Thus, main power failure
with alarm only, back-up power
failure, communication failure of
distributed systems and cable fail
ures. Printed circuit board card
(PCB) failures must be restricted
to that part only. Alarms have to in
dicate the location of the fault .

Large transformers (> 125 kVA or

100kW) with a power factor of 0.8
have to be tested at the manufac
turer's workshop. The test must in
1.10 Dynamic positioning
clude a megger test, a high voltage
systems.
test and a megger test again, as
well as a heat-run determining the ' Dynamic positioning systems vary
temperature rise of the windings at
from simple computer assisted sys
full load conditions.
tems with Notation AM, via redun
Similar to rotating machines, often
dant systems Notation AA, to fully
the test is done by a combination
redundant systems Notation AAA.
of a no-load test and a short-circuit
For the more complicated systems,
test which gives a good idea of the
a failure mode and effect analysis
temperature rise at actual load.
(FMEA) has to be made, identify
ing the consequences of ali pos
1.8 Automatic control
sible failures. This is the basis for
systems
the test procedures . The functional
tests are more difficult to simulate.
Large control systems, or better
As most of the systems have to be
complicated control systems, have
adjusted to the characteristics of
to be tested at the manufacturer's.
the ship, especially for the first ship
This means building up the various
of a series, these are usually done
components, such as equipment,
during sea trials.
control-stations and work-stations

1.11 Systems in general.

It should be clear that all factory
acceptance tests have one common
purpose: that is to confirm the suit
ability of equipment to be installed
onboard.
Every step in the FAT testing pro
gramme has one major purpose.
This is to ensure performance dur
ing the harbour acceptance tests
(HAT) and of course, during the fi
nal acceptance test, the sea trials.
Consequently, the above testing
must be executed with all new and
essential equipment or systems
working.

1.12 EMC/THD tests

All navigation and nautical equip
ment has been tested for electro
magnetic compatibility during the
type approval procedure . Interfer
ence between components should
not exist as long as all equipment is
installed in the original housing and
in accordance with the instructions
of the manufacturer.
When in the open deck area other
sensitive equipment is installed,
such as a frequency converter op
erated deck crane, controlled from
a control cabin with many windows
in view of the radar antenna beam,
also this control cabin has to be
tested for EMC.
Measuring the Total Harmonic
Distortion (THO) for different op
erational conditions is particularly
advised when large Variable Fre
quency Drives are installed. These
measurements are sometimes also
required by Class.

1.13 Step loads

After testing of the individual die
sel generators for proper operation
the sets are tested in parallel op
eration. With 3 sets, first 1 and 2
in parallel, thereafter 2 and 3 and
finally 1 and 3. When current and
kW loadsharing is in order the en
gines and generators have to be
subjected to step loads.
A step load is a suddenly applied
load on the generator, to check the
performance of the generator AVR
as well as the diesel governor.
Usual steps are from 25 to 50 %
and 50 to 100 %, whereby the
minimum voltage and the minimum
frequency during the process have
to be checked.

Testmatrix
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x
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x
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DGPS land 2
GSM 1 and 2
AIS
SATCOM C1 and C2
SATCOM Mini-M
TV/FM/AM

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x

Magnetic compass
Wind speed
Gyrocompass
EM Log

x
x
x
x
x

Steering system
Automatic Telephone
Battery-less telephone
Public address
Propulsion control

Another test of the diesel and genera

tor performance is the switching off of
a certain load whereby the overvoltage
and maximum frequency of the sets
are checked during the process,
This is usually done in parallel, operat
ing by switching off circuit breakers.

1.14 Example of EMC interference

EMC interference problems are some

times hard to trace like in this example

of an Offshore Construction Vessel.

When the ship got operational it ap

peared that the crane would not work

although this had been succesfully

tested during harbour trials,

It took a long time to find the reason

for this failure of the crane but in the

end it appeared that the beam from the

radar disturbed the crane controls.

By screening some cables in the con

trol cabin of the crane the problem was

solved,

The test matrix for commissioning

should include verification of this sort

of interferences,

x
x
x
x
x

After the Factury Acceptance

Tests are completed to satisfac
tion, the equipment has to be
installed on boa rd. When com
pleted, a new series of tests has
to be carried out: The Harbour
Acceptance Test, or HAT.
Before this testing can be car
ried out, cables, pipes, safety
systems,
such as firedetec
tion, bilgealarm, etc, have to
be ready and have to be test
ed. This is in fact pre-testing,
and part of the HAT. There is
an overlap with the actual HAT,
which is carried out when all
systems and equipment is sup
posed to be ready.

General shipboard
testing.

Before a new installation is put into

service, the following tests are to
be carried out. These tests are in
addition to any acceptance tests
which may have been carried out
at the manufacturer's.

2.1

Insulation resistance

The insulation resistance of all sys

tems and electrical equipment has
to be measured using a direct cur
rent insulation tester, between:
a. connected
current
carrying
parts
b. as far as reasonably practicable
all current carrying parts of dif
ferent polarity or phase.
The installation may be subdivided
and equipment may be disconnect
ed if initial tests produce resistance
values lower than the required re
sistances.

2.2

Earth conductors

Tests are to be carried out to verify

the effectiveness of the earth con
tinuity conductor and the earthing
of non-current carrying exposed
metal parts of electrical equipment
and cables.

2.3

Generators

Tests are required to demonstrate

satisfactory performance of each
generator and engine by means of
a test run at full rated load and at
110% overload for at least 15 min
utes. Engine temperatures should
stabilize and not exceed the maxi
mum figures as determined by the
manufacturer.

Example of part of Megger list

Rated voltag-e" ,
U v
I
Un ::5 250
250 < Un ::5 1000
1000 < Un ::5 7200

Minimum voltage of
the tests, V
2 X Un
500
1000

7200 < Un ::5 15000

5000

Minimum test voltage and insulation resistance M_a

Minim"um insulation
resistance, MQ
1
1

DIESELGENERATORS 1
Total
Rating %

+ 2 PARALLEL

Diesel 1

2.4 Switchboards

Diesel 2

Kw

Hz

Kw

Hz

60

60

0
25

60

120

59.8

65

130

59.8

50

125

250

59.5

130

260

59.5

75

185

370

59.3

190

380

59.3

100

250

500

59

250

500

59

75

185

370

59.3

190

380

59.3

50

125

250

59.5

130

260

59.5

25

60

120

59,8

65

130

59.8

60

60

During the full load tests, the tem

peratures of jOints, connections, cir
cuit breakers, bus-bars and fuses
have to be monitored and may not
exceed the maximum values.
For cables with XLPE insulation this
value should be below 85(,
Bus-bars in switchboards may reach
95e.
2.5 Synchronising equipment
During functional tests the operation
of engine governors, synchronizing
devices, overspeed trips, reverse
current relays, reverse-power and
over-current trips and other safety
devices must be demonstrated. Gen
erators with a rating of more than
1500kVA must also be protected by a
differential protection system, show
ing a possible current leakage.

SINGLE DIESEL GENERATOR

Power

Power

Voltage

Current

Freq

Speed

Kw

Hz

RPM

0/0

0%

455

60

24%

60

454

125

59.8

50%

125

452

250

59 .5

70%

185

452

375

59.3

100%

250

450

500

59

75%

185

451

275

59.3

50%

125

452

250

59.5

20%

60

454

125

59.8

0%

455

60

1800
1785

2.6 Automatic Voltage

Regulator

1770

The voltage regulator of each gen

erator has to be tested by opening its
breaker when the generator is run
ning at full load and also when start
ing the largest motor which is con
nected to the system.

1800

STEPLOADS

Step 1 from 25 to 50% by switching off diesel 1

Also the speed governor has to be

tested by opening the circuit breaker
at full load. This is not to result in
overspeed trip. The minimum speed
of a diesel generator has to be veri
fied when starting the largest electric
motor on board.

Step 2 from 50 to 100% by switching off diesel 1

Diesel 1

Diesel 2

Total
Rating 0/0

Kw

Hz

Kw

Hz

60

60

25
50

60
0

120
0

59.8
60

65
130

130
260

59 .8
59 .5

50
100

125
0

250
0

59.5
60

130
250

260
500

59 .5
59

minV min Hz

440

57

2.7 Parallel operation

435

56

Parallel operation and kW and kVA

load sharing of all generators capable
of being operated in parallel mode, at
all loads up to normal working load,
has to be tested.

STEPLOADS SWITCHING OFF

Power

Power

Voltage

Current

Freq

Speed
RPM

0/0

Kw

Hz

50%

125

452

250

59 .5

0%
100%

0
250

455

60

1860

480

62

0%

0
500
0

59
60

1720

485

63

450
455

Rated voltage,

High Voltage test voltage

depends on the nominal
voltage of the system as in
the following table:

UnU n V

Un :5 60

60 < Un :5 1000

1000 < Un :5 2500

2500 < Un :5 3500

3500 < Un :5 7200

7200 < Un :5 12000

12000 < U < 15000

maxV max Hz

2.8 Functional test

Test voltage a.c.

(r.m.s.), V
i

500
Un + 1000
6500
10000
20000
28000
38000

Essential equipment must be operat

ed under service conditions, though
not necessarily at full load or simul
taneously, for a sufficient length of
time to demonstrate that the tem
peratures stabilize and equipment
does not overheat.
2.9 Safety systems

Fire, crew and passenger and ship

safety systems must be tested for
correct functioning.

2.10 General alarm systems

On completion of the general emer
gency alarm system and the public
address system tests, the surveyor
has to be provided with two copies
of the test schedule, detailing the
measured sound pressure levels.
Such schedules are to be signed by
the surveyor and the builder.

Harbour Acceptance
Tests (HAT)

After the equipment is installed

onboard the ship and connected,
Harbour Acceptance Tests are
carried out to prove that the
equipment is capable of functioning
properly.

3.1 Electric power supply

system tests
An example is the load tests of the
diesel generator sets in combination
with the switchboard. Load tests are
often done using a water resistance
device that consumes electrical
power by heating water.
A disadvantage of the device, is that
it does not simulate the ship's load
which is usually partially inductive.
The power factor is 1 for a resistance
load so that the maximum power
for the diesel is reached at 80%
current of the generator.
This is therefore, not a generator
test where current is the limiting
factor.
Load steps also give a good idea of
the generator set's performance.
Auxiliary engine protection and
shutdown systems are to be tested
as well as automatic starting of
standby pumps and sequential
restart of essentials after a
blackout.
Further tests may include the load
dependent start-stop by a power
management system with automat
ic reduction of propeller pitch and/
or RPM of electric driven thrusters
in case of overload of the genera
tor plant. Much of this testing can
be done in harbour as it does not
require the ship to be sailing.

3.2 Engine protection

systems tests
Tests of safety stops for diesel gen
erator engines, propulsion engines,
bOilers and likewise.

Example of test sheet of safety systems of main and auxiliary diesel

engines (see 27.2.2)

3.3 Automation system tests

Systems to be tested are the bridge
control systems for main engines/
clutches/propellers, transfer from
engine room to bridge, bridge to
bridge-wing and back, emergency
stops, thrusters' start-stop and
controls and pitch and RPM indi
cators. This can all be done at re
duced load along the quay.
Additional testing is required for
steering gear systems' pump start/
stop with alarms, rudder position
indicators, autopilots and propul
sion safety systems, such as rud
der limiters, interlocks between
bowthruster and stabilizers.
The above tests have to be carried
out prior to sea trials.

3.4

Each type needs to be tested in its

own way. See pictures.

During sea trials this test is repeat

ed with engines and engine room

ventilation running.

Smoke, heat and f1ametests.

Realistic test of the smoke, heat
and flame detection is done by
burning diesel oil in a drum.
Such tests are only carried out dur
ing sea trials to test the whole sys
tem.
Adequate precautions as a fire ex
tinguisher and people with fire re
sistent clothing is a must.
During normal operation smoke de
tection is carried out using a spray
can with a special testing liquid on
a broomstick.

Fire protection

Safety systems such as fire detec

tion, fire alarms, fire doors and
shutters and fire fighting systems
are to be tested before going on
sea trials.
The fire detection in engine rooms
consists of three types of sensors:
- Smoke detectors
- Flame detectors
- Heat detectors

Flame detectors can be tested with

a good torchlight, heat detectors
with an ordinairy hair dryer.

3.5 Safety of people on board

Personal safety systems,
internal communication,
alarm systems and public
systems have to be tested
leaving to sea .

such as
general
address
prior to

Smoke test in progress

3.6 Alarm and monitoring
system tests
See table on the right side.

3.7 Emergency Power

Autostart of the emergency gen
erator, the transitional source of
power, emergency lighting, escape
lighting, lifeboat preparation light
ing and lights required to launch
the boats, are to be tested .

3.8 External Communication

External communication systems
must be tested and certified by or
on behalf of the national authori
ties.

3.9 Nautical systems

Radars,
gyrocompasses,
echo
sounders, speed log, DGPS po
sitioning reference systems and
vertical reference units must be
functionally tested so far as is pos
sible during quayside testing.

3.9. Lighting
Functional tests of emergency
lighting, navigation lighting, signal
mast lighting and anchor lights also
have to be carried out.
After successful completion of the
HAT, the ship will receive a tempo
rary certificate of seaworthiness by
the authorities and is allowed to go
to sea.
Sea Acceptance Tests (SAT) com
plete the program by executing
those tests which require sailing,
including manoeuvring tests, stop
tests and likewise.
All these tests must be well docu
mented with values, figures.
in order to be available as a ref
erence. Normally a booklet is pro
duced by the shipyard with these
data.

On completion of the HAT, the

ship goes for trials. At sea for
large ships, inland at sufficient
deep and wide water for smaller
ships. The electrical installation
can then be tested under 'nor
mal' conditions and/or full load,
on full speed, without ground or
channel effect, what is normal
ly not possible at the outfitting
quay. Without speed, alongside,
the propulsion system quickly
comes in overload conditions.

Sea trials

During sea trials the final tests are

carried out before delivery of the
ship to the owner.
Sea trials prove the specified per
formance of the ship to the owner
as well as demonstrate that the
ship is capable of performing con
formto the minimum requirements
as determined in SOLAS.

Propulsion equipment is to be test

ed under working conditions and
operated in the presence of the
surveyors to their satisfaction.
Owners' requirements, such as
speed, fuel consumption, noise
levels, etc. are to be tested at full
operating conditions or at whatever
agreed figures or circumstances
provided in the building contract.
For cargo ships maximum figures
for sound or noise are given in
SOLAS; for yachts and passenger
ships there is a totally different list
of figures.
Sound and vibration levels form
a great part of the conditions for
people's comfort onboard ships and
these have to be verified under op
erational conditions.

All necessary parameters such as

pressures, temperatures under dif
ferent load conditions of the main
engine are collected and recorded.
A booklet with all these data is pro
duced and remains the reference
throughout the lifetime of the ship.
On completion of the seatrials, the
SAT, when the ship is considered
completed is all respects, the ce
rificates are issued, as far as not
already issue for completed items.
With the necessary egards and of
ten festivities, the initial Class cer
tificates for Hull and Machinery are
handed over. When all necessary
other certificates are on board, the
ship is allowed to take cargo and to
leave port.

Periodical surveys

However when the ship is in ser

vice, to maintain the validity of the
certificates, periodical surveys have
to be carried out. Annuel survey,
intermediate survey, and special
survey, together with other com
pulsary certificates in a five years
cycle. The basic annual electrical
survey consists of the following
tests and inspections, depending
on the type of ship. For example:

5.1
-

General

Testing of all bilge level alarms

Testing of all watertight doors
(operation and alarms), general
survey conditions of watertight
sealing of electrical equipment
when this is intended to be
used in submerged conditions
Testing of main and auxiliary
steering gear systems inclusive
of alarms
Survey of all escape routes,
route signs, illumination low
level lights

Testing of communication sys

tems between bridge and en
gine room and emergency con
trol positions
Testing of remote controlled
valves and indications
Inspection of main and emer
gency switchboards and as
sociated cables. Examination
under normal operation condi
tions. Testing of automation,
black-out start, power depend
ing start, power management
systems, automatic sequential
restart systems, non- essential
tripping systems. Electric safety
inspection, earthing of electrical
eqUipment, especially in wet or
dangerous areas
All ships: General inspection
of alarms and safety devices
as well as autostart of standby
generator and sequential restart
of essential auxiliaries under
normal service conditions
UMS ships: General inspec
tion under working conditions
of automation systems such as
standby pumps and auxiliaries.

Sample tests of alarms inclusive

of bridge, mess room and cabin
alarms. Safety timer/dead man
alarm systems. Survey as per
approved test schedule. Testing
of bridge control systems and
bridge engine room communi
cation systems.
Navigation and nautical eqUip
ment. General inspection of all
equipment under normal opera
tion
NAV 1 Ships, In addition to
general inspection under work
ing conditions of bridge equip
ment additional alarms and in
dications, also safety timer and
cabin alarms. Survey as per ap
proved test schedule.
Radio / GMDSS / External com
munication survey
Crew safety systems. General
alarm and emergency lighting
system, emergency generator
automatic start and if emergen
cy source of power is a battery,
a load test of this battery.

Futher in addition to 5.1:

5.1.1 Ships transporting
dangerous cargo in bulk
Dangerous cargoes in bulk . In
spection of equipment in dan
gerous areas in relation to the
gas group, temperature class
and external damage, if any.
Dangerous dusty cargoes . In
spection of equipment in dan
gerous area, type of enclosure,
protection class, eventual exter
nal damage.
5.1.2 Tankers
- Dangerous liquid cargoes. In
spection of equipment in dan
gerous areas, in relation to
gas group, temperature class
and eventual external damage.
Gases from some cargoes are
heavier than air and thus form
a layer on deck or in any space
under the deck.
- Liquefied natural gas and liq
uefied petroleum gas carriers
(LNG and LPG ships).
- Liquefied natural gas is lighter
than air, while liquefied petro
leum gas is heavier than air.
Inspection of equipment in dan
gerous areas gas group and
temperature class to be verified
as well as inspection for damage
to ship or equipment.

5.1.3 Passenger ships

Ship safety systems
Passenger
safety
systems.
General alarm, public address,
emergency lighting, transitional
lighting systems and low level
lighting systems. Batteries and
UPS capacity tests are required.
Automatic start of emergency
generator and operation of as
sociated equipment as fans, fire
flaps, air louvres. to be demon
strated.
5.1.4 Car ferries with bow and
stern doors
- Door alarms and indications,
water level alarms, closed cir
cuit TV monitoring systems
(CCTV)
- Additional lighting systems for
crew and passengers
- Equipment in dangerous areas,
for instance the lowest 45 cen
timetres above the car decks
where cars are stowed with pet
rol in their tanks are considered
dangerous areas. Also attention
for equipment under ramps and
swing decks where cars can be
stowed. Minimum requirements
for equipment on cardecks, etc.
above this 45 centimetre layer
is protection class IP 55. Car
deck ventilation must have at
least 10 air changes per hour.

5.1.5 Dynamic positione~ ships

Annual Survey under ooerational
conditions, which means
DP trial at a convenient
to demonstrate the 0
the control system co
a survey of the total
system, often diesel el
veys and tests have to
out as per ship-specific
test schedule. Special a
UPS capacity tests. The
the tests is often the FM
mode and effect analysis.
5.1.6 Small ships and
- Basic electrical instal
- Automation
- Equipment in dangero
where all sorts of e
running on petrol,
For requirements see
car decks. The venti
perform at least 10 ai
per hour. Gas detecti
fitted to an alarm and
ment not suitable for
ronment must be clAlitrfh",ri

5.2 Complete five year survey

electrical installations
Every five years the electrical instal
lation of a ship must be subjected
to a special survey, equal to an an
nual survey along with the following
tests and inspections:
-

Electrical insulation resistance

measurement of all cables and
equipment, motors, generators,
switchboards and all consumers,
galley, laundry. Also high voltage
cables and consumers, if any.

Fittings of main and emer

gency switchboards to be in
spected, which means checking
of connections either by torque
wrenches or by thermal inspec
tions under load, using infra-red
camera. Copper bus bars are
relatively soft, the torque when
setting bolts is therefore, impor
tant. Checking of bus-bar resist
ance by special low resistance
measuring equipment. Testing
of circuit breaker settings and
inspections of contacts . Resist
ance measuring of contacts of

vacuum circuit breakers. Cali

bration of circuit breaker set
tings and testing of non-essen
tial tripping circuits. General
inspection of switchboards.

Maintenance onboard modern

ships has to be planned very
carefully. The required checks
and tests are spread over the to
tal maintenance period.

General

Maintenance is an essential part of

a ship's installation; Planned Main
tenance Systems (PMS) are de
signed to prevent failures.
A Failure Mode Effect Analyses
which is a requirement for the high
er classes of DP-notations also pro
vide insight into the effects of sin
gle failures and methods to prevent
unwanted consequences. Monitor
ing and collecting data of failure,
parts involved, alarms prior to the
failure, help to improve planned
maintenance.
To aid maintenance, more and more
ships have computer systems on
board for remote monitoring and
life cycle management.
Such a system is linked to the alarm
data computer memory, coupling
the type of alarm to the running
hours of the relevant item, in order
to generate maintenance planning.
By means of satellite communica
tion equipment suppliers can moni
tor equipment on board and ad
vise the crew or materials can be
ordered to be available in the next
port of call.

Rotating machines

2.5 Insulation resistance

2.1 Air-cooled machines.

Cleaning or replacement of air fil

ters, visual inspection of windings

of stator, visual inspection of wind

ings of rotor.

Measure insulation resistance and

register data and conditions, i.e .
warm after running, and/or cold af
ter a longer period of standstill.

2.6 Slip rings and brushes.

Special attention for loose fixings of

Visual inspection to check for
wires between rectifiers and wind

scratches and excessive brush wear

ings on poles.

General cleaning when found dirty

inside. Grease (roller) bearings as

3
Cables
per maker's instructions .

3.1 Cables in hot areas.

2.2 Water-cooled machines.
Visually inspect cables routed in hot
As 2.1 air-cooled machines. In ad
areas, look for colour changes due
dition the testing of the cooling wa
to overheating of wires. Replace ca
bles by heat resistant types if nec
ter leakage detection and alarm.
essary.
2.3 Large machines with
sleeve bearings.
3.2 Cables in dangerous
zones.
Check the circumferential clearance
of the rotor in the stator. Register
Inspect cables for damage of outer
data and check bearing clearance
sheaths. Repair if possible to avoid
corrosion of metallic braiding un
and lubrication system
derneath. Check glands of certified
2.4 Machines with roller
safe equipment for tightness.
bearings.
3.3 Insulation resistance.
Roller bearings have to be greased
as per maker's instructions.
Measure insulation resistance of all
cables in safe areas. Measure all
outgoing groups of the power dis
tribution system, inclusive of con
sumers. Use megger-list as pro
vided at new building for reference.
~ ;, ~\"~~rt~.~

. ;/

Switchgear

4.1 Visual inspection for dirt

Cleaning or replacement of air fil
ters, visual inspection of connec
tions for discolouring of wires by
overheating , visual inspection of
bus-bars.

4.2 Visual inspection

movable connections
Th is is applicable to tulip contacts of
withdrawable circuit breakers and
starters . Check for proper working
springs, if not accessible carry out
conductivity tests.

4.3 Thermal photography.

4.4. Bus-bar connection

conductivity and

insulation resistance.

Thermal photography with an infra

red camera is a quick way to find
Bus- bars are usually made of elec
bad connections. It has to be car
trolytic copper, a good conducting
ried out with the circuits under load
or shortly after having been under
but rather soft material.
Bus- bar connections are made with
load. When a hot spot is found, also
steel bolts , nuts and spring wash
a colour image has to be made of
ers. Bus-bars can have a tempera
the same location to identify the hot
spot. Some thermal cameras adapt . ture of 125 0 centigrade under full
the scaling of their pictures to the
load. Locking nuts with PVC or ny
lon locks have to be suitable for this
hottest spot in that picture. So a
temperature. Nuts to be fastened
bright yellow part can be 35C in
with a torque wrench to avoid over
one picture and 135 C in another.
stressing of the copper. Overstress
Some switchboards have not suffi
ing above the yield stress of the
cient access to photograph all pos
copper results in loose connections.
sible hot spots. Those switchboards
also have to be visually inspected
Checking all the connections in a
switchboard bus-bar system with a
after switching off and opening of
torque wrench is a lot of work, not
the doors.
to mention the opening and closing
See pictures below.
of the bus-bar compartments.
Another way to check these con
nections is to measure with a low
resistance measuring device from
one
outgoing group at the cable
120
connections to the second outgo
ing group at the cable connections .
100
Followed by the second to the third
and so on .
80
With all circuit breakers open the
insulation resistance of the bus- bar
60
system can be measured.

40

Circuit breakers.

Converting equipment

5.1 Low Voltage

7.1 Air-cooled

Most LV circuit breakers are air cir

cuit breakers with main contacts,
arcing contacts and arc extinguish
ing chambers. Arc chambers to be
taken off and inspected for debris .
Arc contacts and main contacts to
be inspected for damage. Interval
time annually or after clearance of
a serious fault.

Cleaning or replacement of air fil

ters, visual inspection of windings,
visual inspection of connections,
checking for hot spots.

5.2 High Voltage

7.2 Water-cooled
Cleaning of heat exchanger, testing
of leakage alarms, visual inspec
tion of windings, visual inspection
of connections, checking for hot
spots.

Most HV circuit breakers are either

gas filled or vacuum and cannot
be opened for contact inspection.
There, with the same current in
jection set as used for the bus-bar
conductivity tests, the resistance in
micro-ohms of the closed contacts
can be measured .

Sensitive electronic devices such

as printed circuit boards (PCB's) in
rectifiers and converters must be
kept clean of dust, salt deposits,
and checked on a regular basis.

5.3 Functional tests.

Check the circuit breakers in the

test position for correct closing
and opening. Check remote con
trols and check the synchronising
mechanism (closing at the correct
moment by the synchronising de
vice as observed by the Synchro
noscope).

8.1 Air-cooled

7.3 Electronic components

Transformers

Calibration of protection devices

such as over-current, short-circuit
current, under voltage trip, reverse
power, differential protection and
their timing requires special tools
and specialists. The interval be
tween tests is usually five years.

Starting devices

Starters to be visually inspected for

cleanness and cleaned if necessary.
Also inspection for hot spots:
- low voltage
- high voltage
- choke type
- autotransformer type.

Correct functioning of temperature,

pressure and flow switches to be
checked.
This is a time-consuming process,
as pressures, temperatures and
flow have to be simulated.
Analogue transmitters are easier to
check: with an engine stopped, all
actual temperatures are indicated
at the engine temperature panel,
or the preheating temperature of
the motor.
With running engine bearings,
pressures and temperatures can
be compared and faulty sensors
are easily found. Same goes for
exhaust gas temperature transmit
ters, from no load to full load all of
them should indicate temperatures
in the same range.
The list of inputs as from the com
missioning shall be used as a refer
ence

11 Batteries.
Cleaning or replacement of airfil
ters, checking of fans, if any, visual
inspection of windings, visual in
spection of connections, checking
for hot spots.

8.2 Water-cooled
5.4 Calibration of protection
devices.

10 Alarm and monitoring

systems.

Cleaning of heat exchanger, test

ing of leakage alarms, checking of
fans, visual inspection of windings,
visual inspection of connections,
checking for hot spots.

Emergency generator

The emergency generator has to

be started every week. Both the
first (battery) and second means of
starting (usually another way, such
as by spring or hydraulic power)
are to be checked.
Automatic starting on the first
starting arrangement by simulat
ing no-voltage of the feed from the
main switchboard to the emergen
cy switchboard has to be tested.

Batteries are to be checked for:

- correct liquid level
- corrosion-free connections
- cracks in the housing.
Also the battery capacity is to be
checked by discharging the battery
partly and measuring the battery
voltage. Results depend on rating
and type of battery. Data to be reg
istered and by comparison the end
of the life time can be predicted.
As the battery capacity is related
to the ambient temperature the
environmental conditions must be
checked on a regular basis and
through the seasons, especially
during winter time.

Formulas

A formula is a concise way of expressing information

symbolically or give a general relationship between
quantities.
Formulas are used to solve equations with variables.
For example the formula that describes the current
flowing through a resistor when the voltage and resist
ance are known parameters is :

Explanation: in direct current systems the volt am

pere is the same as watts or the energy delivered. In

alternating current systems the volts and amperes may
not be 100% synchronous. When synchronous the volt
amperes equals the watts on a wattmetre. When not
synchronous volt amperes (VA) exceed watts (W)

cos<p = power factor, in short the ratio of watts to volt

amperes or the ratio of the active (true or real) power
to the apparent power.

Explanation: as this is an important issue in AC net

works this is some explanation of the forms of power.

R
There are three distinctive forms of power:

In which:

Active Power (P), measured in watts (W), is the pow

er drawn by the electrical resistance of a network doing

I representing the current in Ampere (A)

the actual work.

U the voltage in Volts (V)

Apparent Power (5), measured in volt-amperes

R the resistance in Ohm (W)

(VA), is the voltage on an AC network multiplied by all

In a general context a formula is applied to provide a

the current that flows in it. It is the vector sum of the

mathematical solution for a real world problem . Formu

active and the reactive power.

lae form the basis for all calculations.

Reactive Power (Q), measured in volt-amperes reac

tive (VAR), is the power stored in and discharged by for

Formulae are internationally standardized and enable

instance inductive motors, transformers and solenoids.

professionals around the world to understand and use

Reactive power is required for the magnetization of the

them appropriately.

steel cores but does not perform any action.

Below is a selection of formulae , including those used in

The power factor can be calculated from:

this book, with an explanation of their purpose . Also in

cluded are some short explanations of key parameters.

Cos<p=

S
Some common electrical units used in formulas and

equations are:

In which P = active power (W)

V = Volt, the unit of electrical potential.

S = apparent power (VA)

W = Ohm, the unit of resistance.

A = Ampere, the unit of current

Low power factors should be avoided as the circuit's

W = Watt, the unit of electrical energy or power.

wiring has to carry more current than what would be

VA = Volt Ampere, the product of volts and amperes .

necessary with a normal power factor of around 0,8.

The formula wheel below visualizes Ohm's law for the

calculation of voltage (U), resistance (R), Power (P) and
current (I).
RESISTANCE
R

Energy and Power

Electrical energy

E=Uxlxt

Active Power

P = U x I x cos<p

Apparent Power

S = UxI

Reactive Power

Q = U x I x sin<p

Current calculations generators and motors

/

1000 x PkW
Udc x h(A)

DC motors

Single-phase motor

I = 1000 x pkW x v'3

Udc x h(A)

Three phase motor

I =

lOOO x pkW
v'3 x Un x cos<p x h (A)

Three phase generator

I =

1000 x SkVA
v'3 x Un (A)

Example: application Ohm's law

A 24V battery supplies power to a resistance of 48W
The current can be calculated from:
1 = U/R = 24/48 = 0,5A
The power can be calculated from:
P = U2 : R = 242 : 48 = 12W
Multiples and Submultiples of Units
When large numbers are part of formulas and equa
tions it is common practice to use prefix names of
multiples and submultiples of units to ease reading of
these. Some commonly used, also in this book, are:
_ = micro, one-millionth or 0.000,001
m = milli, one-thousandth or 0.001
k = kilo, one thousand or 1,000
M = mega one million or 1,000.000
Examples: 1000 VA can also be written as lkVA,
1000kVA can also be written as lMVA which is:
1000 x 1000 = 1,000.000 VA.

Electrical Motor Efficiency

The electric motor efficiency
can be calculated from:

746 Php

h =
in which:
Win put
h
= efficiency,
= output horsepower (hp)
Php
Winput = input electrical power (Watts)
For Win put one can substitute: U x I x v'3 x cos<p

Short-circuit calculations
See chapter 7, pages 50 and 51 for details

List of tables
Chapter

Page

Example load balance Mega Yacht

36-39

Alternating voltage selection as per lEC 61892-2

42

Mechanical strength of bus bars

51

Maximum support distance bus bars

51

Basic environmental tests (type approval)

59

Environmental categories (type approval)

59

Vibration tests (type approval)

60

High voltage test (type approval)

62

Explosion proof types

10

68

Example extract cargo list, minimum requirements

10

68

Explosion proof zoning

10

69

Examples of Ex and lP equipment / zoning

10

70

lP ratings

10

71

Relation generator RPM, frequency and poles

11

73

Generator test sheets; no-load run, short-circuit run

11

74

Generator test sheet; load tests

11

75

Shore connection types

11

81

Example emergency services

12

84

Example check list for low voltage switchboards

13

90

Diesel test sheets

14

94

Example heat run electric motor

15

101

Power ratings and speeds standard AC-motors

15

102

Limits temperature rise air cooled rotating machines

15

103

Main dimensions standard AC-motors

15

104

DistanCeS cable to cable and cable to metal surface

17

120

AC and DC power tolerances in relation to EMC

17

121

Cable ratings

18

129

Maximum distances cable supports

18

132

Minimum bending radia for fixed cables

18

133

List of alarms inland waterway tanker (IWW)

20

157

Example minimum list of alarms seagoing vessel

20

158

Colour codes piping systems

20

161

DP check list bridge

25

191

DP check list engine room

25

191

Test matrix communication systems

28

208

Example megger list

30

215

Test sheet two (2) diesel generators in parallel

30

216

Test sheet single diesel generator

30

216

Test sheet diesel generators step loads (2x)

30

216

Example test sheet safety systems main_aux. diesel engines

30

217

Example test sheet alarm and monitoring system

30

219

Description

Symbols

SYMBOL

DESCRIPTION

SYMBOL

DESCRIPTION

An electric symbol is a pictogram

used to represent various electri
cal and electronic devices (such
as generators, motors, batteries,
cables, wires and resistors) in a
schematiC diagram of an electrical
or electroniC circuit. These symbols
can (because of remaining tradi
tions) vary from country to coun
try, but are today to a large extent
internationally standardized . Sym
bols enable professionals around
the world to "read" and understand
their meaning and use them appro
priately.
Symbols in this book are based on
lEC 60617 - Graphical Symbols for
Diagrams
On this page is a small selection of
symbols, including those used in
this book, and their meaning. For
other symbols the lEC standard
should be consulted.

[Xl

VOLTAGES AND CURRENT

AL TERNATING CURRENT
(AC)

""v

DIRECT CURRENT (DC)

L1,L2,L3

PHASE IDENTIFICATION

NEUTRAL IDENTIFICATION

PE

PROTECTIVE EARTH
IDENTIFICATION

[Xl

WIRING DIAGRAMS

CONTACT, BASIC

CONTACT, POWER

[Xl

CONTACT WITH THERMAL

OPERATION

~Kx

SINGLE SCREW TYPE

FUSE

RELAY COIL

SIGNAL LAMP

....

PUSHBUTTON 1 NO
SPRING RETURN

Sx
.....

ONE LINE DIAGRAMS

-<

GENERATOR DC

GENERATOR 3-PHASE AC

-(])

CONTACT, DELAYED
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT

J"1..

DEL TA CONNECTION
(GEN., MOTOR, TRANSF.)

~
@
~
~

~t

CONTACT, DELAYED
FROM RIGHT TO LEFT

W
~HX
Sx
......... I,J

Furthermore any combination of

standardized symbols can be made
to form a new symbol. The dia
grams of a small and a large circuit
breaker in chapter 8 on page 57
are examples of combinations of
standard symbols.
When non-standard symbols are
used, for instance purpose -made,
these should be explained on the
drawing or on a related document
like a list of symbols.

---

)-t

One general rule with the use of

symbols is that as long as stand
ard types or combination of those
are used no further explanation on
drawings is required.

TRANSFORMER

RECTIFIER AC TO DC

BATTERY

Phase colours
Phase colours are used to easily identify the different
phases, the neutral and the protective earth or ground
in an electrical installation.
Unfortunately there is no worldwide standard for phase
colours so one should always be cautious when servic
ing an electrical installation.

@
@

-Q3=
~
-+

PUSHBUTTON 1 NC
SPRING RETURN
SOCKET AND PLUG
COMBINATION
STAR CONNECTION
(GEN., MOTOR, TRANSF .)
MOTOR DC

MOTOR 3-PHASE AC
DOUBLE STOCK
TRANSFORMER
FREQUENCY CONVERTER

EARTH, GROUND

Diagrams
For the sake of clarity it was decided for the diagrams
in this book to use the phase colours as these were
officially in use in the UK until April 2006. The phase
colours as officially in use throughout Europe as per
CENELEC 2006 would have been difficult to read.

Below are some examples of phase colours as they are

in use in the US, Canada and Europe.

ISome standard phase colours

L1

Red

Red

IDescription

PE

Blue

White or Grey

Green, green-yellow striped

USA common

lBtaok. .

Blue

Grey or White

Green

Canada by law

'Btack

'Grey

Blue

Green-yellow striped

Europe present as per CENELEC 2006

Bl'a"Ci<

Green-yellow striped

UK until April 2006 (used in th is book)

Red

-Black

: 1Sl">wl'l

L2

Yellow

L3

Blue

'-----

Abbreviations
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase used chiefly in writing to represent the complete

form. Abbreviations are widely used among professionals with different occupations and consequently ab

breviations may have different meanings from group to group.

To avoid confusion the following is a list of abbreviations used in this book.

The abbreviations are alphabetically sorted.

Abbreviations on P&IDs and those related to formulas, class notations and chemicals are not included.

For other meanings to abbreviations the internet can be a good source with for instance the internet site

dedicated to abbreviations that can logically be found at www.abbreviations.com .

A
A
ABS
AC
AC
AFE
Ah
AIS
API
ARPA
ATEX
AVR
AWG

Ampere
American Bureau of Shipping
Alternating Current
Air Conditioning
Active Front End (Freq.Drive)
Ampere hour
Automatic Identification System
American Petroleum Institute
Automatic Radar Plotting Apparatus
ATmosphere EXplosive
Automatic Voltage Regulator
American Wire Gauge

Bureau Veritas

C
CCTV
CEE

CL
CPA
CPU

Closed Circuit Television

Commission (standard) for Electrical Equipment, common abbreviation for IECEE, International Electro technical Commission (stand
ard) for Electrical Equipment
Centre Line
Closest Point of Approach
Central Process Unit

DAD
DC
DGPS
DNV
DOL
DP
DSC

Factory Acceptance Test

Failure Mode Effect Analysis
Floating Production Storage and Offloading
Fresh Water

GHz
GL
GMDSS
GPS
GT

Giga Hertz
Germanisher Lloyd
Global Maritime
Global Positioning System
Gross Tonnage

B
BV

FAT
FMEA
FPSO
FW

Design Appraisal Document

Direct Current
Differential Global Positioning System
Det Norske Veritas
Direct on-line
Dynamic Positioning
Digital Selective Calling

HAT
HF
HPP
HT
HV
HVAC
Hz

Harbour Acceptance Test

High Frequency (radio)
Hydraulic Power Pack
High Temperature
High Voltage
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
Hertz (frequency)

IEC
IMO
IP
ISM
IWW

International Electric Committee

International Maritime Organisation
Insulation Protection
International Safety Management
Inland Water Ways

J
K

kHz
kV
kVA

Kilo Hertz
Kilo Volt
Kilo Volt Ampere

E
L

EC
ECDIS
EMC
ENV
EPIRB
EPL
EPR
ESB
ESD
ETA
ETD

Ex

European Community
Electronic Chart Display
Electromagnetic Compatibility
Environmental
Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon
Equipment Protection Level
Ethylene propylene rubber (cable)
Emergency Switchboard
Emergency Shutdown
Estimated Time of Arrival
Embedded Temperature Detector
Explosion

LED
Lm
LNG
LR
LRIT
LT
LV
Lx

Light Emitting Diode

Lumen
Liquefied Natural Gas
Lloyd's Register
Long Range Identification and Tracking
Low Temperature
Low Voltage
Lux

M
MCA
MCT
ME
MED
MF
MHz
MODU
MSB
MW

S
Maritime & Coastguard Agency
Multi Cable Transit
Main Engine
Marine Equipment Directive (European)
Medium Frequency (radio)
Mega Hertz
Mobile Offshore and Driiling Units
Main Switchboard
Mega Watt (power)

SART
SAT
SB
SCADA
SOlAS
SSAS
SSC
SW

Self Activating Radio Transmitter

Sea Acceptance Test (Sea trials)
Starboard
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
Safety Of Life At Sea
Ships Security Alert System
Special Service Craft
Salt Water

T
N
NEC
NKK
NMEA

National Electrical Committee (US)

Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (Japanese Class)
National Marine Electronics Association

TA
TBT
TEFC
TFT
THD

Type Approval
Tri Butyl Tin Fluoride
Totally Enclosed, Fan Cooled
Thin film transistor (monitors)
Total Harmonic Distortion

0
U

P
PCB
PlC
PMS
PS
PTFE
PTO
PVC

Printed Circuit Board

Programmable logic Controller
Power Management System
Portside
Poli Tetra Fluor Ethylene (Teflon)
Power Take Off
Polyvinyl Chloride

Q
Qty

Quantity

Ultra High Frequency

Unmanned Service
Uninterruptable Power Supply
Ultra Violet

V
VDR
VFD
VHF
VlCC

Volt
Voyage Data Recorder
Variable Frequency Drive
Very High Frequency
Very large Crude Carrier

R
RADAR
RC
RINA
RMS
ROV
RPM

UHF
UMS
UPS
UV

Radio Detection and Ranging

Rotating Current
Registre Italiano Navale
Root Mean Square
Remote Operated Vehicle
Revolutions per Minute

X
XlPE

Cross-Linked Poli-Ethylene

The internet nowadays is a vast domain of information

but the quality of this information may vary from site to
site. User discretion is therefore advised with using the
internet as a source of information.
To help with gathering information via the internet fol
lowing is a small sample of internet links that may be

useful.
Although all links were tested when this book went into
print users should be aware that the internet is chang-

ing all the time and that internet links may not be avail

able when you try them (broken links).

A "clickable" version of this list can be found on the

publisher's website:

www.dokmar.com

New interesting links that could be included in the next

print of this book may be sent to the publisher's e-mail

address: info@dokmar.com

1. Standards
www.imo.org

International Maritime Organisation

www.iso.org

International Organization for Standardization

www.cen.eu

European Committee for Standardization

www.cenelec.eu

European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

www.iec.chInternational Electrotechnical Commission

www.cie.co.atInternational Commission on Illumination
www.itu.int

International Communication Union

www.bsigroup.comBritishStandards.main internet site

www.ansi.org

American National Standards Institute with a vast Internet Resources Overview page
some of which are also listed here .

www.uscg.mil

United States Coast Guard (USCG) main site

www.standard.no/en/sectors/Petroleum

Norwegian Standards for the Petroleum Industry

Some of the major ships classification societies are
listed below. Only those societies are listed that are
member of both the International Association of
Classification Societies and the European Maritime
Safety Agency.

2. Ships Classification Societies

www.iacs.org.uk

International Association of Classification Societies

www.emsa.europa.eu

European Maritime Safety Agency

www.lr.org/sectors/marine

Lloyd's Registers ships classification main internet site.

www.cdlive.lr.org

Lloyd's Registers marine classification information service with entries to lists of

type approved equipment

www.eagle.org

American Bureau of shipping

www.bureauveritas.com

Bureau Veritas main internet site with link to Maritime Industry section

www.gl-group.com

Germanischer Lloyd

www.rina.org

Registro Italiano Navale (RINA)

www.classnk.or.jp

Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, known as ClassNK or NK, Japanese classification society

www.rs-head.spb.ru/en

Russian Maritime Register of Shipping

www.dnv.com/industry/maritime

Det Norske Veritas, Marine section

. Large systems and equipment suppliers.

Some of the majo r international systems and eq ui p

ment suppliers are listed below.

www.schneider-electric.com Schneider Electric, components, complete assemblies and systems.

Main site with a large database with free downloads of Cahiers Technique in
PDF format with very detailed design information on various subjects.
Enter "cahiers" in the search input field to get a complete overview.
www.siemens.com

Siemens, components, complete assemblies and systems .

Main site with again lots of free information and download

www.abb.com

ABB, components, complete assemblies and systems

www.ge.com

GE, components, complete assemblies and systems

www.nema.org

NEMA, the Association of Electrical and Medical Imaging Equipment. NEMA is

the trade association for the electrical manufacturing industry in the USA and
has approximately 450 member companies manufacturing products used in the
generation, transmission and distribution, control, and end-use of electricity..

~4.

Material classification

www.ul.com

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is an independent product safety certification

organization that is testing products and writing standards for safety

www.ptb.dejen

The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) is the German national me

trology institute providing scientific and technical services. PTB certificates are
applied for instance to explosion proof equipment

S. Ships Automatic Identification System (AIS)

Two exam ples of internet sites with live prese ntation of,
ships movem ents around the world
---"";""""'-'

www.marinetraffic.comjais
www.digital-seas.com
6. General science, basics for engineering
www.bubl.ac.uk

BUBL LINK Catalogue of Internet Resources covering all academic subject areas

www.intute.ac. uk

INTUTE is a useful site to find websites for study and research

www.unesco.org

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation and on their site more
speCific the Natural Science section (tab)
Below is a sample of internet sites that may contain
useful information. This is a random selection from th~
_~~....m illions of sites now available on the internet.

. Various sites.
www.mathconnect.com

Mathconnect, on-line calculations and conversions. Simple to use site with di

rect results.

www.thefreedictionary.com

Free on-line English dictionary

www.wetransfer.com

For transfer of big files which are difficult to attach to e-mails

www.stormy.ca

Canadian internet site loaded with interesting information and more links

www.gizmology.netjbatteries

Some notes on the selection of batteries with an on-line calcu

lation part

www.islandnet.comjrobbjmarine.html

Site with some interesting guidance for testing

webbook.nist.gov j chemistry

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Chem

istry Web-Book with a search engine and database to find the
chemical properties of 70.000+ materials

A
Ac generator
Ac sources
Ais
Alarm and monitoring systems
Alkaline
Annual surveys
Antennas
Automatic control systems
Automatic pilot
Automatic voltage regulator
Autotrack
Autotransformer type.
B
Basic design criteria
Batteries
Battery systems
Bridge control systems
Bridge equipment
Budget
Bus bar
C
Cable connections
Cable penetrations
Cable routing
Cables
Cable trays
Carbon - dioxide
Car ferries
Certified equipment
Chemical tanker
Circuit breakers
Classification societies
Coastal service
Collectors
Communication
Compass systems
Consumers
Contactors
Converters
Converting equipment
Cranebarge
Current (AC)
Current (DC)
Current limitation

78
75
176
159, 208
86
222
177
208
169
95, 218
169
215
17
215
27
215
165
17
53, 214

139
136
127
129,207,213
134
180
223
70
31
55, 208, 215
201
18
13
124, 175
165
35
55,57
112
111,208
30
13
13
59

D
Dangerous areas
Dgps
Diesel electric propulsion
Direct current (dc)
Distribution system
Disturbing signals
Dp systems
Drilling
Droop
Dry heat
Dynamic positioned ships
Dynamic positioning
E
Earth conductors
Echosounder
Effect analysis
Electric cables
Electromagnetic compatibility
Electronic chart display. (Ecdis)
Emc interference
Emc management
Emc measures
Emc/thd tests
Emergency batteries
Emergency consumers
Emergency generator
Emergency power
Emergency propulsion
Emergency services
Enclosure
Essential consumers
Exciter
Exhaust gas

69
124
27
13
20
120
187
198
96
63
223
35, 209
217
124, 170
143
129
121
171
211
119
120
210
86
85
86, 215
85
197
26
64
35
79
197

F
Factory acceptance test
Factory acceptance tests (fat)
Failure mode
Failure mode and effect analysis
Fire detection
Fmea
Fmea requirements
Formulas
Freq uency converters
Fuses
G
Gas tight boundaries
General alarm system
Generators
Gmdss
Governors
Gps
Grounded systems
Grounding arrangements
Gyrocompass

76
207
143
47
180
155
189
224
109
58
71
126
217
175, 176
95
169
22
23
124

H
Harbour acceptance tests (hat)
Harbour load
Harmonic distortion
Hazardous areas
Helicopter facilities
High voltage
High voltage cables
Hull return
Human tolerance
Hvac
Hv switchgear

219
44
116
69
196
64
136
21
24
37
157

R
Radar
Rate of turn indicator
Redundancy criteria
Remote operated vehicle
Restricted service
Rigging
Rotary converters
Rotating current (rc)
Rotor
Rudder angle indicator

124, 168
170
24
197
18
126
112
14
79
170

S
I
Iec standards
Inland waterway
Inland waterway
Inland waterway ships
Inmarsat
Insulation resistance
Interference
Ip ratings
Isochronous

L
Lead acid battery
Lighting
Lighting systems
Load balance
Load list
Load sharing
Log
Lrit
M
Magnetic compass
Main bus-bar
Maintenance criteria
Manned engine room
Mct
Mega yachts
Meggertest

119
159
18
159
175
213, 217
121
72

99

86
126
183
35,36
35
98
124, 170
176
124
89
20
19
135
37
103

N
Navigation equipment
Navigation lights
Navtex
Non-essential consumers

124
126
124
35

0
Off-course alarm
One-line diagram
Operational conditions

167
29
35

P
Parallel operation
Parallel running
Passenger ferry
Passenger ships
Permanent magnet
Pipe laying barges
Project management
Protection classes

43
95
32
223
79
199
17
103

Sailing yacht
Salt environment
Satcom
Sea trials
Selectivity
Selectivity diagrams
Semi-conductor converters
Shaft generators
Shore connection
Short-circuit behaviour
Short-circuit calculations
Solar cells
Solar radiation
Solid grounded neutral
Squirrel cage motor
Squirrel cage rotor
Ssas
Starters
Starting devices
Step loads
Switchboards
Switchgear
Synchronisation
Synchronising equipment

T
Tankers
Thermal photography
Transformer
Transformers
Type approval

33
62
124
222
58
59
46
197
23, 82
49
50
41
63
22
104
103
176
126
107, 208, 215
210
89
45, 214
97, 99
218

223
214
111
208, 215
61

U
Ultra fog
Ungrounded
Unmanned engine room
Unmanned (ums) notation
Unrestricted service
Ups units

180
20
19
19
18
13

V
Vibration
Voltage regulator
Voyage data recorder

62
79
171

W
Whistle
Wind and sound
Wind-generator
Wind speed and direction

126
170
41
124

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Corrections and proof
- Jan van Boerum,
Carol Conover,
Mimi Kuijper
Fred van Laar,
Mark Ringlever,
Huib van Zessen,

readings:
Schiedam
The Netherlands
Terschelling
Voorschoten
Schiedam
Barendrecht

Photographs reproduced with kind permission of:

Alphatron Marine BV,
Amsport
Jan van Boerum,
Danny Cornelissen,
Klaas van Dokkum,
GustoMSC,
Hans ten Katen,
OceAnco
Klaas Slot,
221

Rotterdam
Amsterdam
Schiedam
Rozenburg
Enkhuizen
Schiedam
Rotterdam
Alblasserdam
Haarlem

165, 167, 168, 171

32
51,89,97, 135, 137, 139, 164, 175, 183, 192, 194, 195, 196
162, 214, 215
6, 42, 66, 83, 166, 169, 172, 17~ 177
219
31,
39,
4, 7, 8, 9 , 14, 29, 39 157, 187, 193, 194, 206 tim 209, 220,

Photographs not mentioned above are from the collection of Rene Borstlap

Drawings reproduced with kind permission of:

Jan van Boerum,
Schiedam
19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 33, 55, 57, 76, 77, 97, 105, 108, 111,
171,215

\.

:1
I
"

-I

;1

:\
I

~. ~

1\
::....